Flowers from Gehenna
by Fatti-chan
Summary: "We are lost aren't we?" Red queried and stared at a familiar marking on the ground. For an abode for the wicked, Gehenna appeared rather beautiful. But the colorful town and resident Pokemon held secrets. Giratina, omnipresent, sat on his throne and laughed, reveling in the misery of his subjects. In the forest, the darkness became all consuming. Spiritual sequel to Blaec Iustise
1. Memory of Death

**A/N:** This is a spiritual sequel to Blaec Iustice though it can be read on its own. Spoiler alerts through, the first paragraph is the last chapter of my previous Pokemon Fanfic.

* * *

 **Memory of Death**

The execution platform loomed, a scaffolding of black pipes, gold bits of marble and a polished wooden stage. It leapt larger than life and as Red surveyed it, tendrils of fear rose from the pit of his stomach and clawed in his throat. Muffling all the other sounds reverberating in the oak paneled room. He broke his gaze away, his throat burned. Parched. Blood red irises gave the spacious room a listless sweep, people jostled, their frantic cries intermingling with the desperate pleas of his heartbeat. Alas, it was too late. Too late for regrets; and too late to cling to the blooming desire of life which ignited somewhere deep within his being. His skin prickled, goose-bumps rose along his arms, betraying fear. He quashed that fear. The fighter shall bare his weakness to those who wronged him. He swallowed and calmed himself. Blue wailed and the bisharp silenced her with a sharp gaze. His friends marched up and the world around him broke apart and rejoined to a different scene. Standing on top of the gleaming circlet of wood, he beheld fuzzy faces staring at him. Somewhere in the vast sea of people, stood Yellow, Diamond...Gold, Misty...Sapphire. And all those he cared about. Shutting his eyes, he steered them towards Green. The strategy leader held himself together with frayed threads of composure. Opposite him stood, Blue. Beautiful, sassy Blue, who broke down altogether and sobbed. Far below, Red spied Lack-2, his face pale and ghostly.

A plume of blood obscured his vision.

The feeble desire of life roared. It turned into an inferno. Fire and passion swirled in a destructive vortex.

Unfortunately...He was too late.

True to their word, they released Blue. A tiny part of him wanted to smile at her, but his facial muscles refused to co-operate. She went down, a whirlwind of tangled hair, tears and curses; and fell over her adopted brother. A sharp throb of pain stabbed Red. He had no true family. No one to call his own. Marveling at his greed and selfishness, he struggled against the bonds tying him. A clamor rose. Voices swelled. He reveled in the panic streaming from both the police and nobles. A retinue of guards scrambled up the short flight of stairs and the stage thundered. They swarmed with new restraints. Resisting the urge to growl, Red made their task difficult. Dragged across the platform, he caught a silver of snow white silk, smeared with a bright red stain of blood. The fight ebbed from his body and the retainers forced him into a kneel. From his elevated position he stared at Misty. Her eyes brimmed with tears, mouth curled into a grim slash and a mixture of pain, worry and disbelief screwed her face. And perhaps he imagined it, but deep within her cerulean irises, he glimpsed a longing for him.

 _Perhaps he imagined it._

Red did not want to see her cry; he did not want to see anyone cry. Gratitude welled in his chest, fighting for space amongst pride and the desire to live. Angling his face upwards, he gazed at the gold gilded ceiling and his face reflected, a distorted smudge he mistook for a monster. The teasing blade hand of a bisharp rested on the back of his neck and in response, the fine hairs stood, playing with the razor sharp edge. Behind him a gavel sounded. Nobunaga nodded. And an indescribable pain initiated. Bisharp, uncaring and unfeeling, cut into his nape, the sword hand bit into flesh, cold silver drawing forth warm, crimson blood. Red swallowed a scream of agony. The audience gasped and twittered. Good, a twinge of satisfaction briefly dimmed the pain.. His mind numbed, a white hot pain flared from the base of his skull. Screeching. The world swung between brief spells of white and black. Agony and the bliss of weightlessness. Undeterred by bone, bisharp dutifully sawed, its face and blade hands shining with flecks of blood. It did not stop, not when it tasted misery wafting from the human in perceptible waves, nor when the human's thread of life dwindled into nothingness. Pressing on his lips, Red's eyes stung with tears, his vision swam. He tried to snatch a last glimpse of the people dear to him. Of the Dex Criminals, his best friends and of the ginger haired woman who watched him, however, his vision blurred.

And he stopped seeing altogether.

His last breath was a shaky exhale. Blood coated Red's thick hair as the head rolled across a puddle and came to a stop. The cleaner hastily covered it with a large sheet of cloth and noticed a single tear cascade down the dead man's cheek.

The convict smiled in death.

* * *

Unknown time

Unknown place

Waves lapped on the beach, hunger in the rhythmic tides as it licked against powdered pokemon shells and sand before the powerful ocean swept them back to where they belonged. Overhead, a patrol of wingull and pelipper skimmed atop cream foamed waves. Their screeching echoed far and wide and they circled an inert individual lying on sand. Another creature eyed them warily and when the birds swooped to take a better look, a palm sized rock sailed out of the air and scattered them. Hurling curses, they flew away, to the wicked, sable plains beyond the picturesque beach. The sky painted a kaleidoscope of colors and when Red woke, he stared wondrously at the layered artwork of burnt orange, electric blue and vivid pinks clamoring for attention. His eyes swiveled downwards, locking on to the half-submerged sun casting a fiery glow on the oily surface of the ocean.

The moment lasted for an eternity.

A patchwork of dancing colors hypnotized him and quite rudely, he tamed his thoughts to pressing matters. His limbs weighed like lead and a phantom pain tickled the back of his neck. It reached a crescendo and he screamed. The sound slapped against the large boulders dotted on the beach and the air smacked his guttural tones back to him. His animalistic screech echoed and re-echoed. Unbeknownst to him, the other individual on the beach flinched. Exhaling, he focused on his churning mind. Questions floated, whipping around in the confines of his throbbing head before disappearing under the whirlpool of more thoughts. Suppressing them violently, he opted to stare at the mesmerizing form of the ocean and soon the soothing lullaby of the waves calmed him. It vacuumed his mind. The back of his neck throbbed dully but the physical discomfort meant little when the ocean commanded his thoughts. In and out. In and out the waves lapped, the gulls screeched and Red sat, listless, hypnotized and lifeless.

 _Lifeless._

How am I alive? He wondered and remembered very clearly that he was supposed to be dead. Dead…the word sounded foreign. It stuck in his throat and fluttered around in the shady catacombs of his mind. Unable to accept, he said it out aloud:

"I'm dead…" his voice emerged as a breathy, shaking whisper. Inhaling deeply, he tried again.

"I am…dead."

Dead.

Screwing his eyes shut. He recalled the final moments of his life.

His memory of death.

Eyes flying open, he recalled something else. His best friend, Green. Come to think of it, where was the jade eyed adolescent and how was he, Red, alive? A wave of nausea washed over him, he did not want this miracle. Did Arceus spare him and send Green to join the ranks of the dead? Anger, red hot and fiery, erupted in his chest and he allowed the negative sensation to course through his veins. The roaring emotion promptly subdued when he peeked at the ocean. Once again, the sea demanded his attention, soothing him and returning his mind to a blank slate. He felt exhausted and the ruminations running rampant in his head, sickened him. Red did not want to be alive, the spark of life burning brightly in his chest curled up, shielding itself from anything fueling it. For a minute, he closed his eyes and visions sprung to existence; painful reminiscences of his carefree life. His skin itched awfully, the sand and microscopic pieces of long extinct pokemon shells, pressed into the surface of his body. Somehow, the pain enlivened him. He could feel pain, he savored fear and loneliness and the realization brought on a twisted sense of satisfaction which whisked into unfathomable despair. As far as he saw, not another soul remained in sight. Red was alone. But then again, he only stared in one direction and it showed him the endless sea. Soft murmurs, carried by a balmy breeze, whispered of warm nothingness. His eyes drifted shut and he listened intently. Red delved into a state where everything was black, blank and free.

A shadow landed on him.

Cracking his eyes, Red gawked at the fire type leaning dangerously close. The creature studied him with an inquisitive, human like gaze. Automatically, Red's eyes swiveled back to the sea, his mind violently quashing the similarities between Green's charmander and the flame pokemon currently peering at him. With gargantuan effort, he surveyed the landscape around him. It seemed familiar and alien at the same time. From the scenery around him, he deduced that he lied on one of Kanto's beaches. His home region? Perhaps he landed at the shores of Cinnabar Island? He allowed himself the luxury of wistful thinking. Patiently, the fire lizard stared at him, maintaining a respectful distance. Crimson irises swung and subjected the charmander to a second glance. A pair of perfect, jade irises sat on the creature's face. It was so...Green. Sighing, Red decided to befriend the charmander. The ponderation elicited a small smile on his face. Grinning at the beast who tentatively stepped forward, Red balked at the size of the creature. Surely a base state pokemon should not be this huge? Wisps of heat emanated from the fire type and Red flinched. It hurt. A faint flame burned on the tip of a scraggly, twitching tail and a thin stream of smoke escaped its nostrils. Nonetheless, Red wanted to adopt the creature and inwardly his mind snorted at the idea of name the charmander.

The original Green might not appreciate it his name bestowed on a fire breathing lizard.

"So...Green." Red uttered and the monster tilted his head calculatingly, "from this day on, let's be best friends alright?" The beast shifted a few paces backwards and Red gulped, wincing at his parched throat. "My name is..."

"Red." The charmander finished. "...Glad you woke up, I began to have my doubts about whether you were him or not."

The waves of the sea lapped in a timeless manner.

High above in the pink streaked sky, an annoying wingull squawked.

Red blinked.

A krabby scuttled past the duo, muttering about trials and clicking its scarlet pincers.

It spoke...Red's mind offered unhelpfully.

"It SPOKE!" The crimson eyed individual exclaimed and struggled to sit up; he pushed himself off the sand, wobbled and ungracefully crashed on all fours. Blinking rapidly and feeling the familiar stirrings of panic gripping his chest and throat, he peered downwards to see his body covered in some type of greenish tinge. No! His mind corrected, he did not have human arms and legs. Instead, and to his utmost horror and confusion, he morphed into a quadrupled monster with pockmarked, reptilian skin and an unbearably heavy object rooted on his back. Balance offset, Red spent the next few, paranoia filled moments trying to right himself, however, each attempt ended up failure. Bits of quartz embedded on the bumpy surface of his skin and grit irritated his large, crystalline eyes.

Charmander watched his best friend flail about uselessly and rolled his eyes. The tip of his tail twitched, the orange flame blended into a blur and more smoke seeped through his nostrils, dusting the creases in his leather skin. "Well, yes." He continued, the epitome of calm. "I can speak and so can you. Did you take a good look at yourself? You are a bulbasaur."

"I...what?" Recoiling at the fire type towering over him, Red teetered dangerously on his stubby feet and tried not to cower in the presence of a first stage pokemon. Was this charmander mutated or something? How could it be this huge? He'd understand if it was a charizard looming over him... "Wait...What did you say? I'm a bulbasaur?" Red gawped at himself, specifically the parts of his body he could look at. A green, scaly skin replaced his pale, human one. Instead of two arms and legs, he had four. He ran a tongue across his lips and tasted salt and lemongrass and the sweetish-sour tang befuddled him. "Okay...I am a bulbasaur...I think." He screwed his face and scrutinized himself again.

"Still not the brightest bulb are you, Red?" Oak snickered and moved back when his comrade whirled on the spot. The bulbasaur trailed a sickly sweet aroma from its partially open bulb and Green spied a flock of birds veering close to them.

The seed pokemon tilted its head in a manner similar to Saur and a pair of gleaming fangs poked from beneath his top lip. Red, toppling into the sand due to the weight of the bulb, paused and slowly, enlightenment dawned on his face, papery lips curled in a grin, further exposing teeth. "Green..." he indolently added, "is that you?"

"...Yes genius!" Oak replied and sneezed, a spark flew and Red yelped in fear. "Arceus," Charmander growled and wiped soot off his nose, "I can't believe I willingly followed someone as dumb as you." He joked lightheartedly but instantaneously, the smile on Red's face melted. Green's words struck a deep chord in the grass type and a sensation of profound sorrow nestled in the pit of bulbasaur's stomach. Static memories rushed in like a wild wave and his heart emptied. _Your fault_ , a voice in his head cruelly resonated with the beating of his heart. It was his fault Green was dead; and single handedly, he ruined the futures of many people with glittering careers ahead of them. Gold, a raven haired, mischief eyed prospective champion. Diamond, slow, contemplative, simmering, could revolutionize the battling system with his theories of defense. Blue, a woman who could either pass for a supermodel or as a specialist in the fields of evolution and Green, a man who might have surpassed his grandfather as a famous researcher, or, be a mentor to the next Kanto Champion. Alas, Red killed his best friend because of a stupid, selfish wish. A burning, consuming desire to see his long deceased parents. If any of his friends found out...Bulbasaur's conscious shied away and shriveled for a period of self-loathing.

 _You are a murderer_. It spat.

Pawing the sand, Red plopped in a little hollow he created and solemnly faced Green who struggled with wiping off the ash raining from his nose. Flickers of flame danced around his closed jaws and Oak too, warily sat opposite his best friend. "Green...I apologize for killing you." Red lowered his eyes, "I am sorry for murdering you. You had a wonderful career ahead of you. Professor Oak and Daisy...I left them without a grandson and a brother." Bulbasaur paused; his bud opened and leaked noxious spores. "You were a famous researcher and I roped you into joining me and my brainless shenanigans. Maybe if things were different, if I wasn't so dumb...If I broke free from my self-induced prison and did something else, we would not be here. You wouldn't be here." Red whispered and shook his head sadly. "Perhaps..." the scarlet eyed creature choked back a hiccup, "if you were alive, you could've gotten married and I'd be the proud uncle of your children." He managed a shaky laugh, "guess I'd be training the future champion huh? But no...they…are just pipe dreams I conjured to comfort myself. Green..." Red eyed the sandy floor, he tried desperately to raise his eyes and meet his best friend's gaze, but his head did not rise up. "Please find it in your heart to forgive me. I am so sorry."

Green watched the bulb on Red's back open and close. His friend stopped spewing toxic and although the mauve grains of powdered poison irritated Oak's nose, his comrade seemed unaffected by the purple dust. Charmander opened his mouth to say something, unfortunately, he hacked up a fireball and it alighted on the tip of bulbasaur's bulb. It took several moments for his anguished friend to feel the burn and after articulating a mighty scream, Red scampered as fast as his squatty legs could carry him, and tripped over the smooth apex of a boulder buried in sand. The smoking tip of the fragrant bulb rooted in wet sand and the fire puffed out. Charmander watched incredulously as his friend waved its extremities about in the air. Thankfully, no permanent damage occurred and Red simply warbled for help. The vermillion lizard sighed and cringed when embers escaped open jaws. He froze, morbidly fascinated by the orange cinders as it floated away in the wind.

Transitioning from a human to a pokemon was a nasty experience. When Green first woke up, he, like Red, spent a good few minutes hypnotized by the soothing lullaby of the sea. Absentmindedly, he reverted to a human habit of his and ran a tiny set of steel tipped claws over his bald head. Drops of blood decorated his appendages and the top of his head stung. Quickly, he vaulted to the ocean in order to stem the bleeding and whilst he washed himself and cursed at the stinging salt water, his fire tipped tail drooped into the ocean and emitted steam. Green straightened, feeling energy drain from his limbs. The gears in his head turned and he wondered if death chased after him for a second time. _This death will be my final_ , he mused and half turned to see a wisp of smoke rising from behind him. Peering suspiciously at the thin trail, he remembered charmanders generally die when the fire on their tail is snuffed out. Shrieking, he gathered his limp appendage close to his chest and hightailed from the water. A weak flame burned and he gently coaxed it alive. Breathing in relief when the fire briefly blazed, he waved his tail about, basking in a small moment of triumph. Moments later, a bulbasaur materialized on the beach and he simply studied the creature as it snoozed peacefully. Only when the grass type opened his eyes, revealing a pair of blood tinted irises, did Green jolt out of his petrified state.

Groaning, Charmander gazed at his best friend. The bulbasaur waved its short legs comically in the salt tinged air.

Sluggishly, Green ambled towards the flailing bulbasaur, his stomach clenching at the thought of hurting his best friend. He was a fire type, the bane of grass pokemon. Red warbled and sticky sap oozed from his open mouth and seeped into the sand; the bulbasaur wriggled vigorously, in order to free himself. Opening his palm, Oak pushed on the grass type's side and the beast fell back on all fours. Red shook himself and showered his friend in a fine cloud of dust. Giving Green a slightly wary look, he scooted further into the wet sand and allowed the waves to wash over his feet. Sea spray soothed his stinging bulb. A good distance and a ponderous silence separated the two pokemon and charmander shattered it:

"So..." the once jade eyed human absentmindedly raked his scored head and winced when a fresh wave of pain hit him. Quickly, he brought down his limb and inwardly groaned at the scarlet drops tipping his shiny claws. Scraping them over the sand, he added, "Red...You seem to be at a disadvantage here." Red tilted his head in a confused manner and Oak reined his anger, he did not want to spout a flamethrower anytime soon. "You are a grass type Red and I am fire-"

"Yeah?" The seed pokemon challenged and the bulb atop his back opened, "so what? With enough practice, I'll be vine whipping you into oblivion!" He crooned, obviously pleased with himself.

Charmander simply snorted. "I'll burn your bulb into a crisp." He leered and Red recoiled in fear. The fighter's face held a trace of defiance but the way he cowered, prompted Green to chuckle. "Stop looking like I tore your favorite pair of fingerless gloves, I'm just joking." The grass type shook itself pompously and Oak cautiously edged closer. "I'm still not used to this...Being a pokemon that is. Moving is tedious, when I cough, I accidentally shoot out a fire ball. My nose is running with ash and soot and sometimes I scorch myself." As he spoke, he moved closer to Red, without warning, bulbasaur spewed a cloud of stinging yellow pollen in the air and Green merely watched it settle on him. Instantaneously, his skin pricked and body spasmed. His muscles locked into paralysis and hung like dead weights on either side of him.

Opposite the paralyzed charmander, Red petrified. "Yikes, I didn't wanna do that. Eh...I was trying to get my vines out, you know, bulbasaur have vines and such. Like you said, I'm not used to this at all." Green's face froze at his classic glare; Red swallowed the whimper threatening to escape his maw and shuffled closer. He willed for a plume of healing spores to come forth and douse his friend. Despite his frozen state, Green's facial expression schooled into one of horror when a spray of noxious dust fell into his eyes, nose and mouth. Gagging at the acrid taste of venomous spores, he tried its best to move, however, he remained firmly locked and endured the assaults his companion dished out to him. For Mew's sake, if that stupid Red wanted to help, he'd best stop experimenting and spouting random moves. A solar beam, tiny but devastatingly powerful, blasted charmander and he soared through the air, somersaulted and landed back-first into the ocean. Frantically, Green motioned to his tail. _It_ _must_ _stay above the water_ , he telepathically conveyed. Unfortunately, Red was no psychic and instead of aiding him, the crimson eyed creature wrapped a sinewy tendrils around Charmander's throat and happily dragged him across the ocean and onto wet sand. When contact proved to be damning for the grass type, he spat leech seeds and with growing trepidation, Green beheld a leafy safety net covering and tangling with his limp, barely burning tail. The irate charmander growled, let loose a smoke screen by accident and tore the brambles apart. By the time he emerged from the black fog, dragging himself out like a creature from hell, Red stood stout faced behind a boulder.

His body quivered violently, but he put on his best, brave face.

Glaring at his comrade, Green brushed soot off his creamy belly and his stringent mien softened on spying Red's face. The effects of paralyze wore off and his muscles loosened. Movement became easier and his leathery skin rippled, shaking off excess dust and ash. Bulbasaur struggled, eyes screwed shut and mouth curled into a grim slash. A small snap reverberated, his bulb popped open and ejected three withered seeds, Red nudged the brown kernels to his friend and quietly intoned it might patch Green right up.

Oak picked up a seed and imagined choking to death on a potentially deadly alkaloid. Who knew what bulbasaur could manufacture inside their blood? Plant pokemon's anatomy made it possible for them to synthesize both toxic elements and healing compounds. "I'm not taking any chances." He flatly replied and burnt it on his palm. The heat oddly comforted him and he let the grey cinders fall through claws and dust caramel sands. His mind wandered back to the apology his friend worded before the whole fiasco started.

Honestly, Green did not know how to respond to such raw emotions. When Red acted sentimental, it spelt awkwardness for him. Although the confrontation could be put off, Oak did not want to. It would be rude to do so and the creature opposite him, harbored emotional scars. If Green refused the apology, guilt might consume what was left of Red. Putting all of this into thought, he faced the bulbasaur and spoke: "Red...I know you feel guilty about all of this..." He vaguely gestured to himself, "But remember, it was my choice to enter the organization." Bulbasaur opened his mouth and charmander held up a paw to silence him, "You didn't force me; yes I did it because you are my friend...But that's what friends are for right? I'm not angry or sad that I'm dead. Regretful maybe...Yeah, I'm regretful, however staying with the Dex Holders forced me to learn a lot of things. I am not sorry for the time I spent with everyone. Grandpa, Daisy will miss me...Sure...I'm just saying...You don't have to apologize Red. Don't apologize to me."

Green broke off. Tears slid down his leathery skin, steaming all the way. And they evaporated before decorating the beach with wet splats.

Oak wondered if the speech he made were all a bunch of lies.

No...He could not lie to Red.

A heavy quietude separated them. Red shuffled, creating another hollow in the loose sand. "I understand..." Bulbasaur murmured and the words induced a fresh gush of tears. Lumbering, Green aimlessly stared at the ocean and sniffed. He scorched his throat and sat next to Red. The waves lapped carelessly at their feet, and despite time passing since their materialization on the beach, the sun hung midway on the horizon. It never dipped in the slightest. A perpetual sunset, splaying colors over the mirror like surface of the distant sea.

"...Where are we and how are we alive anyway?" The grass type blurted, all the stillness made him fidgety.

"Purgatory." charmander answered.

"..."

Gently, the fire type puffed..."Hell, Red...we are in hell."

 _I guess after everything I did, I deserve to be here_. Red pondered. However, the current scene in front of him did not match his traditional views of hell. Anyone in their right minds would think a picturesque beach was more akin to paradise than purgatory. So what made Green think they landed in hell? The grass type got up, lifted a foot and pointed it towards the scenic horizon, in a surprising feat, he managed to grow two thin vines and point them in the same direction. "You are telling me this is hell?" Red queried disbelievingly, "then I suppose it's not so bad." Wordlessly, his companion carelessly jerked his head back and Red turned around. His mouth fell open in shock.

 _How did I miss that earlier?_ The seed pokemon wondered.

They landed in one of the weird paintings Blue and Silver loved to hoard so much. Half of the image painted a serenely beautiful and calming picture whilst the other half defined the word ugly. A thick, rusty red line separated the hellish domain from the beach. Behind them, the soft brown sands of the beach ended abruptly and gave way to several paths. The grey cobblestone streets snaked to a gigantic gate set in the middle. The arch rose above everything else, dwarfing the surroundings and managing to suck in the weak sunlight. Pillars, wreathed in thorns and vines, depicted gothic architecture and a pair of huge, double doors portrayed Giratina and his offshoot, disgustingly altered to show the worst of them. Red's eyes strayed to the side of the entranceway and he noted the pillars frothing. The columns dripped a murky, viscous liquid and spellbound, he watched, as the surface bubbled and faces leaped from the ebony muck. Recoiling, he gazed with morbid fascination when human faces formed out of the fluid and reared outwards, their mouths opened in silent wails of terror. The bud on bulbasaur's back tightened; he heard a faint lament carried by the warm breeze. A plea of help. A begging for forgiveness. To his growing horror, he recognized two of those faces...His and Green's. Their twisted expressions jumped out. Stamped with misery and untold suffering, their visages tried in vain to separate themselves from the rest of the liquid wall. Morosely, the two pokemon bore witness as the ominous pillars sucked their last, human remnant and the faces dissolved. A part of Red faded. Lost forever. Stomach heaving anxiously, he screwed his eyes shut and quivered.

Charmander got up and bulbasaur whipped his head around to ogle. His best friend resolutely strode towards the desolate land. Beyond the freakish gate, the terrain fell in shades of ash grey and sable; wicked plains and spindly towers dotted the horizon. Scrambling after Oak, bulbasaur retched at the stench wafting from the gate.

"Wait!" he gasped, "Green...What are you doing?"

"I'm going in there...You have to come as well. We might find clues as to how this place works."

"You wanna know how hell works?" the bulbasaur quivered at the thought, "let me tell you, it's all pain and blazing fire...Which...might not be so bad for you. Heck! This is unfair!"

"If we stay here, we will forget ourselves. You noticed it didn't you? When you first woke up, the sea commanded all your thoughts, if you stare at it...You will lose all of your memories. Do you want that?" Green questioned somberly.

"I don't have a choice do I?" Bulbasaur recoiled when a gale of hot air gushed past him, his pores shrunk. His bulb withered.

"Nope" the fire lizard quipped, "let's get going."

The two beasts marched up the beach; a sense of untold despair claimed them. Standing at the threshold, bulbasaur shifted when another scorching blast of dry air threatened to shrivel him; charmander shivered uncontrollably as a glacial wind ghosted across the surface of his parched skin. Shoving second thoughts at the back of their minds, the duo cautiously pushed on the doors and the gates groaned open. The environment behind the gate leered at them, teasing them to step forward. Sucking in another breath, the monsters traversed the threshold and Red jumped when the door shut with a final, echoing bang. Green's lip curled and bulbasaur spat a single razor leaf from its bulb. On the beach, a gothitelle materialized amongst the boulders, its face twisted into a contemplative frown. It closed its eyes and spoke, each syllable chiming like melodious bells. "Fresh meat," it confirmed and the space behind it distorted, images flashed: white fur smeared with blood. Vines constricting a vermillion lizard, an amnesiac fire type. A playful fox trying its best to survive. A nine tailed demon with an unquenchable wrath. "Yes, I trust you shall meet them after they confessed their sins...You did remember to fix the sign leading to town right?" A hint of mistrust crept in the psychic's voice as its superior laughed. "This is not funny, if they get lost; you will have to send a party to search for them. Giratina forbid they wander into the forest and stumble into Sloth. They will perish!" Grumbling some more, the beast sighed and winked out of existence.

* * *

Unknown time

Deep within the forest

"We are lost aren't we?" Red queried and stared at a familiar marking on the ground. A broken branch mocked him. Green, close to breathing fire, gazed around the area, thick undergrowth sneered from all sides and he longed to hawk up a fireball and dance in the light of his glorious, orange flames. Alas, the two of them were lost and they had no direction to rely on. Red sprouted vines and the creepers crawled around his tightly shut bulb. "Why don't we just go straight and trust our instincts?" The bulbasaur queried mildly and plucked a suspicious looking fruit from a nearby shrub. Growling, Oak snatched the fruit and tossed it back into the bushes. He looked upwards and sighed, a canopy of leaves blotted the sky.

"My instincts tell me to burn the undergrowth to the ground and roll in its ashes." Charmander hissed and his friend jumped when sparks flew. "Should I go ahead and do that?" Oak ranted for a few more minutes, lost in the passionate articulation of his miseries. His body refused to obey him and hunger clawed his stomach.

Red ignored his comrade and ambled off in search of another edible berry. His belly growled and he fully understood Green's pain. Off the beaten track, he stopped, a group of shadows dashed purposefully through the forest. Screaming did not attract the band's attention and without thinking, Red's bulb cracked open and released the sickest smelling sweet scent his nose ever had the displeasure of sensing. The capering umbra halted, their leader, an umbreon, sniffed the air suspiciously and with measured slowness, turned around. Bulbasaur balked, in the dimness of the forest floor, the moonlight pokemon's body rings glowed cyan. It barked sharp commands to the pack of assorted monsters and they scattered. The creature melted in a pool of shadows and reappeared next to Red. Bulbasaur screeched an ear curling sound and in the next second, Charmander sprang from the bushes, tail fire blazing and nostrils flaring. The dark pokemon gave the two of them an impassive once over and spoke, its low voice penetrating through the bushy forest sounds.

"You two must be new." Its ears flickered dismissively and Green's stared at the umbreon's paws. Silver cuffs encased all four of them. "If you are looking for Treasure Town, it's that way. That darn Wigglytuff refused to fix the sign again. When I get my paws on those trouble makers..." Umbreon broke off, muttering wicked threats under his breath. Fixing an authoritative gaze on them, he jerked his chin in the right direction. "I have to catch up with my patrol group. If you can't find your way through here, then you're better off dead." With this encouraging comment, the moonlight beast melted into the shadows and Red waved a thin vine as it left.

The darkness in the forest became all consuming.

Facing the direction the umbreon graciously pointed them to, the duo failed to see anything either than more gnarled tree trunks, leaves, flowers and the occasional fruit. Mist seeped through the foliage, painting the surroundings a ghostly white. Swallowing their fears, the fire and grass pokemon pushed through, Green raked his claws along the tree trunks, leaving a trail of slashes behind. It felt oddly good to sharpen his steel tipped claws. After trudging through the plantation, they came across a crude wooden sign, the mist surrounding them morphed into a thick fog and they tasted dew drops in the air. Charmander, not appreciative of the damp cold, shivered and waved his tail in an effort to keep the chill at bay. In contrast, Red perked and hungrily absorbed the moisture from the atmosphere.

"It says Tophet's block." Green examined the broken sign critically. A large crack threatened to split the sheet of rotting wood into two.

Bulbasaur circled the post; it smelt of aged wood and moss. "No, it says Treasure Town." He pointed at the words scrawled hastily at the bottom of the decomposing sign. "See, they scratched out Tophet's Block."

Still suspicious, Oak insisted, "Red, that Umbreon said something about a misleading sign. We can't just waltz in there without knowing anything."

"Well, what do you wanna do?" Red snapped, "And umbreon did not mention a misleading sign, it said that someone did not fix the sign." The grass type circled the wooden post again and picked up far away cries of pokemon issuing from the depths of the menacing forest. "Look, it's getting darker by the minute; we'll follow this place to Treasure Town and find a place to sleep."

Green sniffed, "we are pokemon and we are supposed to sleep in the outdoors."

Red moved away from him. "Then stay there." He called over his shoulder. Charmander scrutinized his environment. A hoothoot hooted in the thicket and reluctantly, he slogged after his best friend.

They were not prepared for what they saw.

After much stumbling, cursing, a ghost scare or two; in which Green took the liberty of following his instincts and starting a forest fire much to Red's chagrin, the weary pokemon, skin damp and glistening with dew drops, came to a drunken stop before a shielded hamlet. Bathed in sliver moonlight, the two stood at the narrow entrance of Treasure Town and drank in the sight of a settlement nestled in a valley. Pale light glittered off rooftops and a huge building dominated the center of the village. A network of dirt paved roads trailed away from the circular village square and sprawled in to the intricate interior of the community. Wooden bridges, shops, stone poles and tiles lay glimmering before them. Rivetedly, Red and Green entered, half expecting the sleeping town to awake and chase them off. They traversed a cobblestoned street strewn with banners fluttering lazily in a breeze; and found themselves staring at a giant, stained window. All complaints vanished as the two solemnly regarded the tinted pane. It showed Arceus, towering above its three offspring, below them, the other pokemon divinities stared back at them, their static gazes accusing. Darkrai's single blue eye leapt from the stained glass and bulbasaur's crimson irises veered from the artwork to the entrance next to it. Moonlight bounced off a great white dome, underneath it, numerous cusped arches sheltered a pair of heavy oak doors. Silently, Red shuffled to the entrance and used a vine to knock on the door. A second later, an audino appeared, smiled pleasantly and ushered them inside.

They entered, humbled by the cavernous space inside the cathedral. Wooden pews lined each side and the floor gleamed dully under the muted glare of lanterns and candles. High above, a fresco of Reshiram and Zekrom trained their enquiring looks at the new comers and both Red and his companion shrunk. "I take it you are new." Audino chimed pleasantly and several other blissey swept the immaculate floor with brooms. "Don't worry, all the newcomers are drawn to this place of worship in order to confess their sins. We are simply here to guide and listen to your worries." She indicated a raised platform at the front and Oak inhaled sharply on seeing a lifelike sculpture of Giratina bearing over the dais. "Don't be alarmed, we have a few refreshments if you like." Bulbasaur absentmindedly shook his head and marched through the center aisle. "Then, I will leave you alone. If you need assistance, you may refer to any one of the attendants inside the cathedral." She dipped her head respectfully and the silver chain around her neck shone. Nodding, Red tucked his legs underneath him and bowed. Feeling familiar guilt clawing at his desert dry throat, Green knelt next to him and spent a few hours in meditation.

Red ruminated on his actions. His deeds gnawed on his mind like acid.

He quashed his excuses.

He prayed for forgiveness.

The vast interior became deafeningly silent.

When he opened his eyes, they swam with regret, a blissey brought a tray and he picked up a single Oran berry amongst the pile of other treats. Turning around, he narrowed his eyes on witnessing Green gorging on a plateful of fruits and berries. Stupid prick, bulbasaur thought and his spiritual elation flew out of a window when an audino hurried off to get the charmander another salver of food. If Red ate like that, he'd sure get an earful from his companion later on. The crimson eyed beast's hunger vanished and along with his confession, a deep bitterness settled in his chest. "So...Are you sad you could not confess to the girl you loved?" The previously mentioned audino mildly queried and a few paces away, Oak choked on his food and spewed a rush of flames. Red turned beet red and tried to deny it. His bud tingled and the hearing pokemon smiled gently. "No use lying to me Bulbasaur, I sense what you did and to an extent, what you regret the most. Not to worry though, a lot of sinners have the same regret as you two. They regret not telling anyone their true feelings and they regret not trusting enough." She smiled, her expression soft like a mother. "Welcome to Treasure Town you two." Red and charmander dipped their heads and chorused a greeting in return. "Although…I regret to inform that you have to stay at the guild tonight. It is getting rather late, if you hurry, you can quickly register yourself and stay for free." Hearing this, the two scrambled for the door. "The guild is the biggest building in Treasure Town," Audino raised her voice, "its right next to the village square!"

But the two were already gone, their gratitude bouncing in the confines of the domicile. A cold breeze gusted through open doors and the candle flames flickered.

Midnight

Treasure Town

Guild

Red and Green hurtled over a dirt path, crossed a rickety wooden bridge and the charmander shuddered on spying silver water churn beneath the slats. Ahead of them, surrounded by eerie columns of stone, lay the village square and as they ran through it, a stray flier dislodged from one of the information boards and smacked into Oak's face. He sneezed; the parchment caught fire and crumbled into dust. Red winced and fled alongside his best friend, a precious Oran berry held tightly between two wriggling vines. They arrived in front of a double height door and Charmander seized a moment to marvel at the beautiful carvings etched into the smooth wood. Less impressed; Bulbasaur warily eyed the fire torches, mounted on low pedestals on either side of the door. Leaving Green to gape at the gate, he pushed the door and it swung open on oiled hinges. A foyer unfurled in front of him. Stone tiles felt cold underfoot and a wooden notice board disappeared underneath a group of tough pokemon as they jostled closer to ogle at the newcomers. A prickle of pressure washed over Red and even Green, cowered slightly whilst a ragtag group of skuntank, lopunny and a lucario bore on them. Squaring himself, Oak growled, spat an ember but it only served to draw the attention of more pokemon.

The monsters' combined presence suffocated them and as first stage, un-evolved pokemon, the duo felt humbled and insignificant.

"Clear off, they are new comers and obviously searching for lodgings." A disembodied voice issued from the back of the room but no one paid attention. Skuntank veered closer and Green retched at the poison and stench. Red merely clutched his berry closer when sparks danced in the foyer; it arced across the stone tiles adding a fresh scar to the ones littering the ground. "I said, CLEAR OFF!" A thundercloud brewed under the vaulted ceiling. A thunderclap echoed. Bolts rained and the formation scattered hurriedly. At the far end of the vestibule, Red finally glimpsed his savior. Behind a thick screen of glass, a manectric hastily groomed its shaggy, yellow fur and placed a pair of spectacles over lamp like eyes. It waved a tail in greeting and Green, who regained his composure, strutted forward in order to get the registration over and done with. "Welcome to Treasure Town's Guild," Manectric greeted fluidly and smiled; his tail an artwork of tribal tattoos. "I apologize for the inconvenience, but each newcomer is subjected to that ritual." He informed and retrieved pieces of paper and an inkwell. "I suppose you are confused and hungry, please finish these forms and I will ask someone to guide you to the eating hall." His well-modulated voice washed over Green and relieved, the charmander scanned the papers. "If you have any questions, ask… and is that your friend over there? He seems to be in trouble." A hint of concern laced the receptionist's voice and Oak whirled to see Red struggling to maneuver the Oran berry into his mouth. The situation would warrant a chuckle from Green if it weren't for the skuntank leering at his companion.

Plop, the berry fell on Red's face for the second time. A roar of raucous laughter swept through the foyer and Oak grinded his saw teeth as he listened. His third pen broke and Manectric patiently handed him another one.

"Thanks..."

More laughter.

Snap.

That's it! Charmander thought and tossed the remains of his fifth pen aside. He sent the receptionist an apologetic look and was alarmed to see the fur on the electric type's head puff up and grow longer. Manectric stared straight ahead, the friendliness in his crimson eyes replaced by irritation.

"So little weed." Skuntank rasped, he and his crew loomed over Red who ignored them in favor of trying to stuff the berry in his mouth. "You must be some hardened criminal to earn a spot in Gehenna right?" Bulbasaur nodded thoughtlessly. "Heh, we are all felons here so congrats on making it into the club." Green listened, his ears pricked for any sign of danger. "Little weed, mind telling us why Lord Giratina sent you here? What did you do? Rob candy off a grandma?" The skunk monster guffawed at his joke and Lopunny rolled her eyes. The atmosphere in the spacious room tensed and each occupant paused in their tasks to stare at Red and Green, holding their breaths for an answer.

Red accidentally crushed his Oran berry and lamented the fact; he tried to get some crushed fruit into his mouth...

Alas.

The bulbasaur turned towards the foul smelling pokemon. "You wanna know what I did?" He asked, his tone weighted by regret, the others nodded, hanging on his every word. They judged him. "I was the lynchpin of a criminal organization which toppled Team Rocket and other regional crime syndicates." Some monster inhaled sharply, "I kidnapped brilliant children, Pokedex Holders, and molded them to view the world with my ideals. I used my organization to manufacture master balls, capture the legendary creatures, steal priceless artifacts and conduct illegal experiments. Eventually, we summoned the space and time titans and managed to drag Giratina out of the distorted world. We tampered with the distortion world and our actions led to a series of micro destructions which plague the real world till today. Thereafter, I decided to sacrifice myself and ultimately murdered by best friend before I was beheaded." Red jerked his head at Green, "that's him over there." He finished his speech amongst captivated silence and his scarlet eyes picked out another berry bush decorating the foyer. Grinning happily, he ambled off as the other pokemon watched him. Skuntank rotated, disbelief marring his features.

"That true Charmander?" He gruffly demanded, "You expect me that lil weed, who struggles to put an Oran berry in his mouth committed so many felonies?"

Charmander grinned, revealing a row of zigzagged teeth, "Yeah, it's true...Except for the part where he murdered his best friend." Green's tail drooped, "but the gist of it is correct."

"Damn...Some life you two lived." The poison type shook his head one last time and meandered away. Red gleefully guzzled on berries till Green barked at him to come over. Manectric handed him a filled out form and asked him to press his paw on the ink pad and stamp it on the papers. The duo did just that, pressing their paws into the cold, blue ink and imprinting a mark on the stark white sheets.

Gathering the forms, the electric type coolly adjusted his glasses and nodded to them. "Thank you for your time, should I ask someone to guide you through the guild or?" The duo shook their heads and intoned that they will explore later. "I understand, you two must be tired. We offer lodgings for a few weeks but since new sinners always stream inside Gehenna, you will have to acquire your own accommodations before the week ends. I am sorry, but these are the rules the guild master drew up." He neatly filed the papers away in a large binder. "The dormitories are on the third floor. Make your way there, you will find tailored lofts for you to sleep in. The eating hall is on the second floor if you want to have dinner, but I suspect our cook retired for the night. Tomorrow, I shall ask the guild master to meet you. Till then, have a good night." The discharge pokemon grinned at them amiably and exhausted, Red dragged himself after Green. The wood and slate steps creaked and whined under their weight. Up and up they went, glimpsing rooms and hearing shouts in what must be the dining hall. On the third floor, fire shimmered in glass orbs and illuminated a welcoming space; specialized beds peppered a spacious chamber. Rafters and nests were situated near the ceiling for bird types and against a far wall, an artificial pond overflowed with water and aquatic plants. Fire types reclined on beds of rock, dry straw and withered grass. Spying smoking logs, charmander crooned happily and lurched towards his sleeping place. As for Red, bushes, low growing trees and a stretch of grass boarded by a murky swamp. Lemongrass and the pungent odor of overripe fruit, beckoned him. Not sparing Green a glance, he too, hobbled to his bed, snatched a leaf to chew on and buckled down for the night.

The fires automatically dimmed and died.

Pale moonlight filtered through the windows, throwing splatters of bone white light on the series of multi, micro environments.

Lava bubbled.

A bird flapped.

In the doorway, a plump monster regarded the merge sleeping pokemon. Its watery eyes sought for a new prey.

The predatory bird nesting out of sight? Or the charmander with its tail curled up against a burning log?

No...

How about the water monkey snoozing peacefully on a large Lilly pad? Or piplup who preferred to snuggle amongst the glaciers?

No.

The creature prowled closer, it crossed marshy swamps and skipped over a sheet of transparent ice. A shadow fell over Red. A beefy paw tugged the sweet leaf out of the grass type's mouth and the beast fed the bulbasaur a seed instead. The grass type snored peacefully, unaware of the danger currently bundling and stealing him out of the dormitory. Like a shadow, the beast flew up the stairs, carrying Red in a large, leafy sack.

 _Poor thing_ , it thought. _Hopefully the seed pokemon will not wake up._

* * *

 **Disclaimer: No, I own nothing except my crafted characters, out of them, my favorite is** *gets smashed*

 **A/N:** And I'm back with another story. As usual, I like to experiment in my stories and this one borrows heavy elements from the Pokemon Mystery Dungeon spin-off games. I tried to minimize the references to BI but they creep in. This fic also has a fair share of original characters.

Reviews and constructive criticism is much appreciated, so tell me your thoughts.

Thank you for reading and most importantly, please enjoy.


	2. Price of Sacrifice

**Price of sacrifice**

A crest of muddy water sloshed towards the sky and rained in foul splats. Jigglypuff vainly kept the brown water from hitting his partner, unfortunately, litwick's bluish flame undulated rapidly. Alarmed, the balloon pokemon covered the weak flame and his life energy drained from him. "Stop that." Muttered the ghost type, "I'll unconsciously leech your life force if you keep on shielding me." Litwick, wax melting and mixing with the muddy bank of the river, shifted, but fatigue rendered it incapable of levitation. Pink streaks painted the sky, lazy clouds ambled towards the horizon, amassing together and signaling the front of an oncoming storm. Stubbornly, Jigglypuff refused to abandon the melting litwick and gently scooped the candle monster's soft body in his pudgy arms. "Wiggly, I am okay, the trial left me weak but I'll survive somehow." The flame pokemon's tone whispered of helplessness and indignation, "if you keep on carrying me all the time, how am I supposed to fend for myself? I-" A floatzel blitzed across the chocolate surface of the dirty river and sent another plume of oily fluid spraying in the air. The creature laughed maliciously, baring chipped, yellow teeth and the scar slashing its face in half, contorted grotesquely. "Yuck, some of that water went in my mouth, as I was saying…" The purple fire burned brighter and Wiggly gingerly drew its plump palms away, "I need to start fending for myself and I can't do that if you are breathing down my shoulder all the time!" Solidifying itself, Litwick levitated for a few paces before plopping on withered grass. "Please give me some space."

Tophet's Block, consisting of a handful of rusting tin houses, wooden barns, rickety stone bridges and blood splattered dirt paths; was not a pleasant place to be in. The streets reeked, the sinners rising up to complete the trials, banded to form companies, their bodies etched with symbols signifying their alliance. A forlorn cathedral, situated at the edge of the ramshackle hamlet, offered no repose and more often than not, some hardened felon and his leering group of friends, defaced it by smashing the stained window which Wiggly and Litwick loved to stare at. They appreciated the beauty of the colored glass and when the sun rays hit it, the entire pane came alive, the pigments bleeding into a surreal piece of art. A couple of shacks functioned as a centralized guild but authority barred weaklings from entry. The seven trials were difficult enough, but living on the streets made life unbearable. Looking around, Wiggly noticed a scraggly bush; a few unripe berries bore the thin stems down. Without thinking, he dashed to it, stripped the still growing berries and stowed them in a sack.

A dynamic punch shattered his nose and one eye bled, freshly sliced by a scyther's razor edged blade. The hariyama and bug duo demanded the merge supplies. Jigglypuff reached into his pouch and remembered Litwick, if the ghost did not have anything to eat, it might die. Standing his ground, he refused.

They beat him some more, Wiggly stood there, silently absorbing their punches and protecting his food. When they whirled on Litwick, shivering on a patch of withered grass, his instincts kicked in, he body slammed into the hariyama and sent it staggering backwards. Flicking blood off his face, Wiggly turned towards scyther and pounded it, crushing delicate wings before ripping and tossing the translucent appendages in the river. A hyper-voice scattered the duo and Wiggly watched as they ran over stones, hopped over logs and careered all the way to the guild. He focused his attention on litwick who sailed closer to him. "Are you okay?" Jigglypuff asked the quivering candle and offered her food."

"You are bleeding." The fire type levitated higher and used a stubby arm to wipe away pale pink blood. "Let's go back to the hideout." When the candle moved away, Wiggly, grasped it and the monster protested. "What are you doing? Let's go back, there will be a storm soon, can't you smell the earth?"

Wordlessly, Wiggly sniffed and fragrant petrichor teased his nose. "You will melt in the rain," he gently stated and set his sights on the crumbling guild. "I'll try to see if I can get a room for you." His comrade protested, vehemently squirming in his arms. "Be still. I came here in order to protect you and nothing will stop me from doing that." The ghost pokemon quieted and the lilac flame burned brighter still. A few drops of rain drizzled on withered grass and jigglypuff nodded to himself and set off. "Let's hurry."

Despite his begging, they threw him out. Whilst he argued with the burly gatekeeper, a squinting crustle, litwick attempted to sneak through the rotting doors. Some other occupant caught the ghost type and flung it outside. The balloon pokemon observed, his mouth falling open as his partner sailed past him, a purple blur, and landed with a thump in the muddy ground beyond. Articulating a worried shriek, he tore towards the flame type and skidded to a halt.

Thank Arceus she was still alive.

Not caring if she burnt him, he scooped her up again. Above him, clouds growled angrily. Blinding flashes of lightning ignited the black surroundings into stark white. Trudging through a deluge, he traversed a slimy bridge, slogged through puddles and leaned against a cracked stone wall. The mightyena manning the black market, barked an apology and threw a tarp over them. Shivering, he tucked the oilcloth around himself and Litwick, she trembled uncontrollably and her body softened. Instead of heat, she emanated fickle warmth. "We have four more trials to complete." Jigglypuff voiced over the thundering rain, "We will make it." He assured himself that she will survive the night.

And watched her melt into nothingness.

The gates of heaven opened and the flood rained fiercer. Water drummed the earth, rocks skittered, hardened soil churned into mud. The river bank burst and puddles formed between the cobblestoned roads. Wiggly crouched further, a wide pool of water formed at his feet. To his alarm, Litwick grew colder. Her flame dimmed and the bottom part of her candle body dripped. He cupped his hands around her but she shook her head weakly.

" _Please let me go."_

"No...NO!" The balloon pokemon screeched as she dripped through his palms and joined the rivulets snaking down the shattered pavement. "Stop...Stay with me!" He pleaded but she continued to disintegrate, he tenderly let the last of her remains down on the puddle and watched the oily film on the water spread wider. Her cute face dissolved and a stray droplet of rain extinguished the mauve flame burning on her head.

 _I will never forget you._ Her soothing voice rung in his ears. Jigglypuff tried to sing to sleep but when he opened his mouth, no song issued forth. Salty tears mixed with the rain and cascaded down his face. Wiggly clutched his chest. It hurt. He gasped and a sharp throb of pain gnawed in his heart. His existence felt empty.

Empty without her.

The next morning, the sun shone brightly, filtering amongst the dead leaves and striking his watery eyes. He changed. Listlessly, Wiggly examined his new body, his ears elongated, the body slimmed and his feet were longer. Letting his head loll back on the partially demolished wall, he grunted a greeting when the owner of the shop waved its tail at him. Wigglytuff could not see clearly out of one eye and he stood shakily, crossed to the river and stared at his reflection. A white scar cut his eye diagonally. Plopping on the bank of the river, he chewed on a few sour berries and pondered. Giving up on the trials will not do...He will complete them for Litwick's sake. She deserved that much. Standing, he angled his face towards the towering guild, the top floors of the domicile seemed to shake and due to the storm last night, some of the roofs caved in. A guild...He mused, was supposed to help new comers and offer them a place to stay. They should take care of people, offer guidance, ask the sinners to repent for their actions and encourage the denizens to spend a new life with good intentions. He glared at the moldering building. It was their fault Litwick died before her time. Exhaling heavily, he angrily kicked a stone and prepared to tackle the next trial. Whilst he stewed in thought, an idea formed in his mind. Why not take over the guild himself and transform Tophet's Block into something else? He clenched pudgy fists and formulated a plan. First, he needed to attract the attention of Giratina; only the renegade pokemon will be able to grant him his foolish desire.

But how to do that? He wondered.

What sort of atrocious deed must he commit to snare the lord of the Underworld's attention?

A malicious smile bloomed on his face. Simple, his mind offered; kill one of the Trial Masters.

However...Could they be killed? They were ultra-powerful beasts, possessing no hearts and blessed with ageless, immortal bodies. Getting up, Wiggly paced the length of the bank, mercilessly crushing brown grass underneath his feet. Clenching his jaw, he absentmindedly waved his concerns away; he had to finish off a ghost, no matter how difficult it may be. For Litwick, he pondered. For her. His heart squeezed painfully and he faltered for a moment. Resuming his heated pacing, he compared himself to the embodiment of the remaining ghosts. Sloth was out of the question, Wiggly was not lazy. Wrath? No, the wigglytuff considered, he did not hate anyone, his anger did not consume him. Jealousy?

He stopped.

Yes...Envy, he dully accepted it. He died because he was jealous of the person Litwick bonded to. Gritting his teeth and shaking off fragmentary memories, he proceeded with his plan.

Marowak's skull lied smooth in fat, fingerless hands. The eerie chamber reeked of negative emotions and the bone club's splintered fragments, decorated the checkered floor of the throne room. Holding the dead ghost's skull, he indolently paced the chamber. Wiggly piloted his eyes away from the twitching body and exhaustion benumbed him. Separating the head from the body was a formidable task, weariness and pain settled deep within his bones. Hefting the skull like a prize, he circled the throne room, keeping clear of the high-backed chair and numerous puppet strings crisscrossing the chamber. Black smoke billowed from underneath the chair and he halted. The skull in his hands degenerated into dust and the entire room chopped into waiflike blocks. The images reflected in his eye distorted before winking out of existence altogether. An involuntary scream of fear escaped his throat when he stood on an endless, ebony plain. Columns of stone erupted from the fathomless ground and formed a ring around him, the archaic symbols pulsed gold. Wiggly slowly rotated, trembled and prayed he would not leak due to sheer fear whilst a monstrous creature swopped through the inky sky. The balloon pokemon croaked when a cloak of frayed wings brushed the top of his head; paralyzed, he stared as Giratina alighted before him; the ghost serpent's body glowed white, gold and red. Wiggly tasted blood on his tongue and his abdomen cramped. Sable wisps of wings, each ending in a gleaming, scarlet claw, fanned from the renegade deity and a golden mouth piece flitted down to reveal a set of ivory jaws. For a brief moment, Wigglytuff imagined the fist sized teeth piercing his rubbery body.

"How bold." The environment resonated. "You sought me by killing one of my appointed servants." Giratina boomed, its voice omnipresent. "Tell me your wish and I shall make it come true. With a price..."

Nice, Wiggly inwardly groaned, the creation pokemon had a dry sense of humor. Giratina made an odd noise, something sounding halfway like a chuckle and a cough.

"I want to be immortal." Wigglytuff brazenly squeaked. The renegade ghost must not have heard him because it frowned at one of the columns. Said column exploded into dust. "I...want to be an immortal guild master!" Wiggly shouted. "Please grant me the ability of the ghosts so I can transform Tophet's Block into a better place." His large eyes watered. "I will do anything, the guild back at the Block...Is not worthy of being called a guild. I want to bring a change to this underworld."

"A revolution?" The deity boomed and Wiggly folded sensitive ears inward.

"Not...Technically a revolution my Lord. I just..." The pink monster paused and gathered his thoughts. "I want to make Tophet's Block into a Treasure Town. So all sinners may have equal opportunities to lead better lives." He thought about Litwick and another selfish desire gnawed into his heart. Without warning, the pitch black plain dimmed and suddenly, he stood in a sun dappled clearing with the forest cocooning him on all sides.

"You have been granted your wish." Litwick's gentle tone carried in the breeze. "You are now immortal, like the ghosts but you have to sacrifice something precious to you. Each year, you must offer your weakest guild member to me." The voice changed, turning guttural. It echoed from the trees, it hammered Wiggly's skull. "Fail to do so...And I shall damn you into eternal agony. One does not make a contract with me and live to breach it. You shall regret asking for such a foolish desire Wigglytuff."

The balloon pokemon shook his head and his back burned intensely. A brand appeared in the form of seared skin and fur. "I shall not." He resolutely answered Giratina and the woods laughed.

"Foolish humans."

* * *

Before dawn

Treasure Town

Guild

Red woke and vaguely registered black smoke billowing around a floating, cyan eye; he blinked and the image vanished. Blurry, orange and purple flames danced in brass brackets. The grass underneath him felt cold and stone hard. Mumbling, he shifted and awoke fully when his limbs refused to obey him. Opening his eyes, he peered through the darkness. The damp cold floor, capering flames and lack of windows told him he might be in a basement of sorts. Befuddled, he looked down, seeing himself splayed on a slab of circular rock. Cuffs encased his feet and chained him to four iron pegs hammered in the stone slab. Symbols akin to Unown decorated the edge of the dais and behind him; a carving of Giratina leered from another vertical obelisk. The sound of shuffling feet reached Red and he desperately wrestled with the restraints. The bright, silver chains rattled loudly and the clanging echoed off antediluvian walls. Bulbasaur stilled and the panicked beating of his heart, roared in his ears. The shuffling noise came again, slower, deliberate and he struggled to slip reptilian feet out of a cuff. His bud opened and spewed stun spores and healing dust, vines grew from the base of his bulb and tangled with the dead chains. The light cast by the fires, dimly illuminated a bulky shadow cutting through the gloom. It drew closer and the form loomed bigger. Uncaring, Red opened his maw and sucked air. As he prepared to bellow for Green, a pudgy hand jammed a bitter seed halfway down his throat and Red's eyes widened in horror. The pokemon before him, sported a pearlescent pupil slashed by a diagonal scar, whilst the good, baby blue iris scrutinized him with a mixture of concern and irritation.

The wigglytuff chanted ominous words; the warped, ancient expressions reeked of power. Red resumed tugging the chains and a sticky gag muffled his moans. He pulled furiously and willed for a solar beam to blast the creepy old balloon into smithereens, alas, he only puffed a pale orb of light. Wiggly circled his prey and picked up a sharp knife. Immediately, the bulbasaur's bulb withered and leaked a great quantity of sweet smelling sap.

"I apologize, but I have to do this." The guild master ripped the gag apart and suffered a bullet seed to his face. Bulbasaur glared at the pokemon and threatened with a thin vine. The tendril promptly smacked the plant in its face. "Still not used to this body are you? It happens to every new comer." Wiggly comforted as the crimson eyed beast repeatedly whipped himself and cussed. "Now be still little friend and this will be over in a minute. Life will continue as normal." He raised his weapon and the seed pokemon scuttled backwards, chains groaning. Sighing, Wiggly moved around the circlet only for Red to relocate himself.

Thus the game of chase initiated.

"GREEN!" Red hollered at the top of his lungs and the call reverberated. "I am about to be murdered by a creepy version of Blue's Wigglytuff..." he spared a quick glance at the grim guild master. "And it's grinning at me like I'm lunch...Or is it breakfast?" He pondered and scooted to the side. "If you don't rescue me. I will DIE!" He shrieked when the knife's edge scraped against his claw. "SAVE ME!" Bulbasaur wailed. "I'm about to be done in by a pink blob with a blind eye! This is the most humiliating death I can think of!"

Wiggly did not smile; instead, he grimaced at the bulbasaur's words. "Firstly, I do not fancy having toxic alkaloids for breakfast." The beast hissed, "Secondly, this is a ritual I must undertake, or else there will be dire consequences for your charmander friend." Red paused in his dashing to stare at wigglytuff. "Thirdly, this pink blob will pulp you into bite sized pieces without the use of a knife." He flicked the weapon behind him and it clanged on the room's spacious floor. "Be still, and this will be painless."

He lied.

Grabbing Red's bulb, he attempted to tear it off. Bulbasaur articulated an agonized scream and Wiggly let him. The basement was soundproof and guarded with ghost charms, not even Gothitelle, with all her expertise into the psychic field, could probe into the sacrificial chamber. A warm splash of lime blood oozed on the altar and the symbols around the stone circle glimmered to life. One thin vine whipped him across the face and Wiggly teetered backwards, tempering the anger bubbling in his chest. The bulbasaur pulled itself across the altar; a network of vines lashed the half ripped bulb to its back. As Wiggly dove again, the wooden doors clattered and creaked. Impossible. Straightening, he abandoned his quarry and marched towards the blast doors, and on nearing it, the entranceway burst. Splinters of wood exploded inwards. A fireball torpedoed into the room and smashed against the giant stone pedestal holding the altar above the ground. Bulbasaur's tormented squeals dimmed and through the smoking gate, a charmander stalked in. Its tail fire blazed brightly and it sniffed the air. Seeing Bulbasaur on the pedestal, it grunted worriedly and scampered on all fours. Effortlessly climbing the sacrificial slab, it whipped around and scanned the chamber. A pair of smoldering, emerald eyes locked on Wiggly, who calmly picked wooden fragments off his body.

"Are you trying to kill me?" Red yelped and Green blinked, he turned around and groaned.

Red's bulb caught on fire. "My bad," Oak quickly apologized, "do something about it before you get fried to a crisp."

"My bulb was half ripped from my back; it feels like I'm roasting in the fires of hell. YOU do something about it!" Bulbasaur snapped and smothered the flames with viscous sap. Wrinkling his nose, Charmander diverted his attention back to the wigglytuff.

"Glad to know my fire is good for something." He drily added and dropped to all fours. "Get yourself out of this mess; I'll take care of that pink blob."

Wigglytuff studied the duo bickering on the dais. Familiar stirrings of envy swirled in his chest and he waved them away. He had to sacrifice the bulbasaur at all costs. Casting reflect over the broken doorway, he regarded Charmander. The tiny dragon established himself as a formidable creature, no doubt, it will have little trouble navigating through the trials, however, the grass type did not fare so well; it had little mastery over its actions and suffered from a weak constitution, a day without sunlight, and the bulb will rot and fall off. Wiggly stared at his hands, tinted green with blood. When he drew closer, the charmander sneezed at him, engulfing the area with a sulphurous smoke screen. Embers danced in the cloud of black and more shrieks dissipated. Scattering the cloud of dust, the guild master witnessed Bulbasaur dripping corrosive acid on his cuffs. When the chains melted, he whooped gleefully and jumped off the altar. His bulb, half hanging off his back and trailing blood, flipped him to the side and he landed back first. Charmander peeked over the edge of the stone circlet and groaned when his best friend helplessly wiggled on the ground.

The guild master moved to the tangle of limbs flaying on the cellar floor. "How did you find this place?" He demanded and Charmander struggled down the large plinth of stone. "Not even my team members know this basement exists."

"Red stinks." Came the simple reply as the fire type peeled his companion off the floor and winced at the sweetened sap coating his claws.

"I don't stink!" Red hissed indignantly and strapped his bulb to his back. He winced, the pain drove him crazy, on the other end of the long chamber, he noticed a shimmering barrier over the caved entrance. Keeping behind Green, the duo lugged forward.

Toying with the emblem hanging on a leather cord around his neck, Wiggly exhaled, "Sweet scent is pleasant to the nose." He added, the fire type suspiciously ogled him but it did not attack. "Rarely do pokemon complain that it stinks."

The two meticulously crawled over the pockmarked floor, only a few meters separated them from freedom. Green scraped his claws along the ground and the steel tips sparked. "Stay with Red for a few moments and you will understand why. He oozes sweet scent all the time and frankly, it's quite sickening." Charmander intoned, Red uttered another noncommittal noise and Wiggly waited as they neared the doors. When the lizard sidled to the barrier, intending to smash the multicolored screen, the guild master ripped a hyper beam. Both monsters scattered, yelping and spitting curses. Green jumped to the side and dragged Red when the stone tiles underfoot melted into lava. He frantically searched for another way out and found none. A river of molten stone lay in front of him and the door, behind them, Wigglytuff prepared to body slam them into oblivion. Oak breathed deeply, attempting to build fire in his stomach, he imagined roaring a fire red flamethrower and incinerating the threat. Cold dread seeped into him when he only coughed a measly spark. The weak flames licked the tiles and the balloon pokemon side-stepped the ember and slammed Red into the opposite wall. Bulbasaur wailed, his back crunched and he slid down the curved confines of the basement and quivered before the monstrous wigglytuff. The guild master grasped the bulb, tearing it from Red's back one more time. The plant type thrashed, bit on his lips and sent two vines to lash around his attacker's throat.

Wigglytuff tore them apart effortlessly.

"Why are you doing this?" Green screeched. His legs shook. He wanted to get close but a skull shattering punch from Wigglytuff forced him to skirt to the side. "Leave Red alone! We came here seeking shelter, aren't you supposed to be the guild master?" Wiggly straightened, the bulbasaur dangled from one of his fists. A few cinders from the fire type singed the fine fur on his arms and he saw desperation swirling in the lizard's viridescent eyes. Uselessly, charmander raked claws over Wiggly's inflated body. The guild master dismissed the stinging sensation and kicked as the fire type tackled him. Through the air, Charmander soared and in response, the bulbasaur wriggled fiercely and called his friend's name. Renewed resolve burning in scarlet irises, it spewed a rush of toxic. A multitude of vines crawled from Red's bulb and snared Wiggly's arms; they forced themselves through his mouth and snaked into his ears. The turgid tendrils burst with a loud pop and dripped acid. Hissing at the burning sensation in his mouth and ears, he flung the bulbasaur to the ground and watched through a misty eye as it crawled to the barely moving charmander.

 _Litwick melted into a puddle in his hands._

The duo conversed in hushed tones and Wiggly mused they must be very good friends. Pointing to the door, he shattered the light screen and urged them to hurry out of the basement. "I decided to spare your comrade's life, Charmander. As I mentioned before, this is a necessary sacrifice. As the master, you have my word, I will not go after your friend any longer, but, you must never mention this incident to anyone. The guild master grinned unpleasantly, "I will gut you if you do." Countenance softening, he continued. "I am the owner of this guild and it is my duty to take care of all those who live under it, since I put you two through such a hostile experience, I will take full responsibility to guide you through Treasure Town. First, you need to eat, you must be famished." He nodded towards the door. "If you follow the steps, you will find yourself going up to the fifth floor and emerging into the archives, from there, descend to the second floor and eat your fill. I will join you shortly, as soon as I clean up the mess." He gestured to the soaked altar. "Remember, none of you shall breath a word about this. Do I make myself clear?" The duo nodded silently and crept out. "Oh and good morning to you both, the sun is shining wonderfully today!" Wiggly bid them farewell in a singsong voice and Green growled, the pink blob freaked him out.

True to the wigglytuff's word, the duo emerged into the archival room. Famished, they scurried over a luxurious carpet and tore out of the doorway. Pokemon and rooms blurred past. The two beasts alighted at the mess hall and Red inhaled deeply, savoring the aroma of fresh berries sizzling on grills. Warily, they entered the bustling room. Smoke and chatter filled the air, wooden tables groaned underneath the weight of plates piled high with berries, fresh fruit and colorful gummis; beasts slammed mugs on tabletops, the miltank milk sloshed noisily and dripped down the sides. Fatigued, Red inched forward, his bulb wobbled on his back, sending spurts of pain dancing up his spine. He located an empty table tucked in the corner of the raucous room and gestured to his companion. The duo sat on crude, wooden stools and not a moment later, a smiling buneary deposited a breakfast of warm berries, four-leaf cookies and a seed studded loaf of bread. Hungrily, they tore into the food and Red reached for a mug of milk to wash the morsel down.

Pausing in his wolfing, Green eyed his friend. "From this minute on, we stick together. Don't breathe a word about what happened to you and stay alert at all times." The lizard commanded, Bulbasaur nodded distractedly and guzzled on a mountain of Oran berries, their charred, blue skins wafted a heavenly tang. "We don't want that stupid pink blob startling us ag-"

"Having fun at breakfast are you?" Wigglytuff enquired in a fruity voice and Green roared an ember, toasting his bread into blackened pieces. Red simply squeaked in fright and jumped; he waved his tendrils threateningly and resumed stuffing his mouth. "Tsk, what are so afraid of?" The guild master cheerfully asked and waved when a group of the guild members acknowledged him with toothy grins. Picking the charcoaled slices of bread, he deposited them on a tray and asked for a new loaf. Green watched, suspicion stamped on his face as Wigglytuff put a new loaf of bread on his plate along with a small dish of jam. "Eat up you two; I want to see you in the second floor training hall after this." Wiggly noticed Red struggling to pull food towards his mouth, "your body control is unsatisfactory, don't worry, I'll teach you everything you need to know." Winking good naturedly, he ambled to the entrance and a chorus of greetings and well wishes followed. Charmander, absentmindedly smearing jam all over his bread, observed the balloon pokemon with a blend of disgust and mistrust. He stuffed his sandwich in his mouth and paused.

It tasted good. The starburst of berries and seeds, complimented each other perfectly.

Mid-morning

Guild

Training hall on the second floor

A mismatch of chairs, ripped plush benches and sandbags lay in an abandoned heap on one corner of the training hall. Polished wooden tiles bore claw marks. Through a series of windows, the sun shone brightly and a breeze wafted from outside. Red shimmied to one of the windows and peered, his face basking in sunbeams whilst Green settled for hawkishly watching Wigglytuff's every move. The creature faced the board and jade irises haltingly trailed an intricate tattoo burned on Wiggly's back. Chalk in hand, the guild master wrote a succession of rules on the board, placing the chalk neatly into a box, he turned around and motioned for Red to move away from the window. "I apologize for the sad state of this room; it never stays clean because the new comers always tear things up." He peered inquisitively at them and Green puffed his chest, he was not going to indicate how much the normal type scared him. "So, your names are Red and Green?" The guild master enquired, pointing to the duo, "and you are a grass and fire pair...What an interesting and sad combination. Poor Red will forever be threatened by his fire type friend." Red snarled a derogatory comment; his vines tightened and circled the air menacingly. "I understand, your best friend will never hurt you...But it pays to be vigilant no?" When both the plant and lizard growled, the balloon pokemon held his hands up in mock defeat. "Okay, okay, I get it." Striding to the middle of the dust filled room, he separated the two friends and moved them to opposite ends of the training hall. "Alright, both of you, complete fifteen laps without falling, stumbling or unconsciously bringing out your element." Wigglytuff assumed his position at the forefront of the room and blew a whistle. "Begin."

Without further ado, Red ran, his pace comically slow, Green on the other hand, gaped at the guild master. _Run?_ His mind echoed disbelievingly, what did that stupid blob think they are? Who could not run?

Five laps later, smoke poured from his nostrils and Red hung out of a window, absorbing sunlight. Unrelenting, Wiggly commanded them to run again.

Three more laps later, Bulbasaur left a thick trail of sap as he hobbled down the length of the chamber. Grabbing a mop, the balloon pokemon wordlessly cleaned after him. Charmander's aching arms hung so low, he scored new lines on the floor. Their limbs burned, Green gasped for air and whilst Red nibbled on the sparse leaves sprouting from his back.

Running was impossible. His legs refused to obey him any longer and if he opened his jaws to speak, he accidentally spat fire and burnt the fur framing the guild master's face.

"The initial step is to gain mastery over your limbs before breathing fire, shooting razor leaves or doing whatever pokemon are supposed to do." Wigglytuff explained and handed them restorative seeds. The sun continued its arc across the vividly blue sky. "As you noted, if you cannot handle yourself, you will expend extra energy and tire easily. In the state you are now, fighting and defending yourself is out of the question." Red pouted unhappily; his bulb tingled disagreeably whilst Green's tail thumped dejectedly against the blackened wood. "I'm sure Manectric told you that you need to secure accommodations by the end of the week?" The duo sluggishly nodded, "I'll help you, by tonight, you are moving out of the guild...Lest I feel tempted to introduce Red to the basement again." The grass type crawled backwards, unappreciative of the crude joke. Crimson eyes glared. "Anyway, we are done for today, I want you two to come in and spend some time to train your minds and bodies. Before your first trial, you should have complete mastery of your element." Wiggly sniffed the air and recoiled. "Green, you stink like brimstone..." the balloon pokemon's mouth curled wolfishly when the charmander slunk backwards. "I suppose a bath is out of the question, so how would you clean yourself?"

Green balked, his head whirred and he spat a feeble excuse, "...If I don't stay long enough in the water, I'll survive."

Wiggly joined the duo on the scratched ground. "Of course you will survive; as a living corpse." The master mocked and the lizard fumed, "water is toxic to fire types, you take a bath and you will spend the next week with ash and soot pouring out of your nose. Red will get stronger after spending time in water; he needs plentiful water and sunlight. You have to start thinking like a beast," Wiggly clicked his tongue, "what did your pokemon do in order to clean itself?" Green imagined his pokemon close to him; he observed them as they licked themselves clean.

His expression rearranged to show revulsion.

"I...Have to lick myself?" In the background, Red chuckled and Green's reptilian eyes narrowed into pinpricks. "Shut it or else I'll light your bulb on fire." He lowly threatened and the sniggering died immediately. Wiggly grinned, showing a mouthful of teeth and Charmander breathed pressurized steam. The fire type eyed himself, bile rose into his throat when creased skin shone with sweat. Glancing at the wigglytuff, who nodded encouragingly, Green dazedly lifted his forelimb and brought it closer to his mouth. Screwing his eyes shut and pretending not to hear his companion choking on laughter, he experimentally licked himself. A rough tongue rasped over warm, leathery skin. To his pleasant surprise, Green tasted cinnamon, charcoal and the singeing flavor of smoked honey. Drawing away, he blinked. "I taste like burnt honey," he informed and Wiggly threw him a knowing grin. Hearing this, Red shuffled forward, demanding for a taste and sardonically, charmander offered his arm. "Go ahead," he taunted, "And burn your tongue off while you're at it." Frowning, a single razor edged leaf struck Green square on his forehead and bulbasaur stalked off. "I guess I could clean myself like this, it's not so ba-"

"Hope you get covered in murky swamp mud." Red muttered darkly and propped on the window sill.

Green exhaled tiredly. "You could raid a combee nest if you want honey." His friend perked. "No Red!" the charmander hurriedly stated, "I was just joking! Che. Let's get a move on; we still have to find a place to stay in."

* * *

Evening

Treasure Town

Residential Area

Bulbasaur waddled behind the guild master; the pink beast led them through leaf littered streets. The residential area lay to the west of the village square and paths branched from the guild, snaking to the rest of the town. Ambling across stone tiles, the trio crossed a bridge and walked around a huge park. Red eyed the monsters wistfully, a handful of grass types played there, tumbling over each other and screaming happily as they dodged a spray of water spewing from a gigantic, marble fountain. In front of them, Wigglytuff imparted snippets of advice and Green listened to them intently, Red allowed the tips to go through one ear and come out of the other; instead, he piloted his attention to the ancient, crumbling buildings and vaulted arches. A string of colorful banners hung high in the air and multicolored bloodstains decorated the edges of dilapidated corner stones. Pokemon rushed to their destinations and an alien cadence resonated around Bulbasaur. At times, he thought of himself as human, but a good look at his body told him otherwise. Monsters, four legged and winged, shouted greetings and he understood them all. How bizarre. Did Green feel the same way? He pondered and ran to catch up to the waiting duo, his best friend sent him an enquiring look and Red shook his head dismissively.

"It's nothing," he answered when Green pressed for details.

What was their purpose for coming here? Why did Wiggly want to use him for a necessary sacrifice? What is the meaning of the symbol hanging around a leather cord on the guild master's neck? The crest showed an outline of what appeared to be a golden and black skull. On further scrutiny, it looked vaguely like Giratina's head...As Red delved deeper into his thoughts and aimed to sort the mysteries commanding his attention, a lighthearted shout prompted him snap up. They alighted before a modest, three story building. Paint flaked off the domicile and from the balcony on the third floor; Red detected the unimpressed form of a sleek absol staring at them with a pair of golden, simmering irises. It disappeared from its perch and rematerialized at the entrance of the condominium. As shadows pulled away from its body, Red noticed a string of bleached skeletons around its neck. Tiny bones rattled against each other whilst pastel seashells and uncut gems wound the creature's horn. "Grandmaster, you are well aware that I prefer to stay alone." Absol intoned in a tone dripping with unfriendliness. Wiggly beamed at her and disgruntled, she stepped back. The pink beast thereafter introduced the dour faced absol to the rest of them.

"Layla," Red chirped, his smile forced the setting sun to shine brighter, "what a lovely name." She eyed him like a bag of compost. Green curtly introduced himself and his tail twitched. He did not like the way she studied him.

"Guild master..." Layla broke off, her horn tingled, she screwed her eyes shut and endured the pain till it ebbed. Giving the scruffy floor an irritated scrape, she raised her head and continued. "My paws are already full with work and going through the trials, I don't have time to look after these newcomers. If they want cheap accommodation, there are plenty of plac-"

"Yes, but this is the cheapest apartment right?" The master grinned, "no one wants to stay here because you force them away. These guys have no money and they desperately need a place to stay, so do me a favor will you? Just show them the ropes and they will take care of themselves..." Wigglytuff trailed off and followed Layla's line of sight, she peered intently and her face scrunched into mild distaste. In the middle of the street, Red and Green chased after a combee. "Ahahaha! They are a bit playful no? Let me get them and everything will go smoothly." Wiggly sheepishly declared and she arced an eyebrow.

 _I hope so._ Her eyes smoldered like orange coals.

On the street, Green agreed with Red that the rapidly fluttering combee will provide for excellent target practice. Thus, the two whaled on it gleefully. The distressed patron swung between arcs of embers and a torrent of razor leaves. It screeched at them helplessly till it spied Wiggly making a beeline towards them. Flying out of reach, Combee perched on the master's head and piteously complained of its smoking wings. Exhaling, Wiggly eyed the duo and jerked his chin at the building with peeling paint. At the gate, Absol stood guard, daring them to step closer to her domain.

"If looks could kill," Red lazily drawled and plopped on the grass, "I'd be dead several times over. Layla there has killer looks..." he frowned thoughtfully, "and that's a feat because Green is no slacker in that department." Overcome with fatigue, the plant type splayed on the ground, Green nudged him with a claw and implored him to go. "Yeah, yeah, I get it." Pushing up with much difficulty, he slogged after Oak who stalked past Layla with his head held high; his smooth, bald head did not even reach her chest. Feeling rather humiliated, Charmander's tail dropped when he entered the condominium. Red paused in his journey and flashed the landlady another grin. She snorted, narrowed her amber eyes and padded right past him. The crimson eyed beast crouched at the threshold and bid Wiggly goodbye as the fuchsia beast handed him a large sack of supplies. "Thanks for not killing me and for these goodies." Bulbasaur added and waited till Wiggly vanished. The master winked, waved and his form melted into dying sunlight.

"RED!" Yelled his best friend, "Get yourself in here!"

Dragging the bag behind him, Bulbasaur received a pleasant surprise when he entered the first floor. A kitchen...Or what appeared as one, opened in front of him; tucked in a corner were a large sink and several steps away from it, a crumbling heath with a cast iron pot, hung over blackened logs. The tiled floor was spotless. Opposite the kitchen, lay a huge bathhouse and Red squealed in delight whilst Oak sulked and sniffed himself. Layla descended from the top floors and grumpily ordered them to come up. Climbing the stairs proved to be agonizing. The duo puffed for breath, whilst Absol waited at a landing and barked at them to hurry.

"Coming…cute lady…" Red wheezed from the middle of the stairs.

An instantaneous transformation occurred. Layla growled, her fur puffed and hackles rose. Alarmed, Bulbasaur flailed, taking measured steps backwards. Absol prowled closer and pushed her snarling face right up to his trembling one. "Don't." She spat, "You dare call me cute." Red gulped and nodded frantically, in the periphery of his vision, Green quaked in fear, "And if I hear any affectionate endearments from you, I shall bite your bulb off." She threatened, Red flinched at the sight of her magnificent, ivory canines and wondered how much they would hurt if she went ballistic on him. Very much, his mind offered and wisely, he shut his mouth. "I promised Wiggly that I will let you and your friend stay here, but if you test my patience, I will leave you to fend for you own." Red bopped his head some more and Green's tail became an orange blur. "Here in Gehenna, you cannot survive on your own, you need to depend on others and if you breach my trust, I'll leave you both high and dry." Absol drew away and Bulbasaur exhaled in relief. "Hopefully, you both understand." Conch shells gleaming on her horn, she climbed the stairs and waited for them to catch up.

Red lined up with Green and voiced: "Guess my offer of friendship was violently crushed." Oak sent him a fleeting grimace, his friend was a special brand of dumb. "Should I call her Sparks instead? Names have properties to shape the personality you know," the grass type nodded sagely to himself and Green's tail dropped, Red's sagely knowledge warranted an early death. "Perhaps her perpetually dark mood might morph into a sparkly one huh? What do you say?-"

"HURRY UP!" Layla screeched from the second floor.

Guess he won't be naming her Sparks anytime soon.

When they crawled to the second story, another surprise waited for them. A short hallway branched to two individual rooms, each decorated beautifully in their element. Layla nodded to them, "these are your rooms, I suggest you unpack the stuff the guild master gave you and make yourself comfortable. If you have more time and stamina," her lips curled as she spoke, "you may take a look at the third floor. My room is up there and there is a large veranda you can use to catch the breeze or sun yourself." Absol stalked away and Red entered his room, thankful for an opulent space. A thick carpet of living grass crunched underfoot and the corner held logs piled on top of each other. Large vases and bamboo poles dotted the floor space; the posts crawled with thick vines bearing fruit and flowers. In the middle, a wooden table held a basin of water and several plates stacked high with aromatic plants. Dumping the sack on the floor, Red retrieved a notebook, some gummis and a few discs. Not knowing what to do with them, he dumped them on the table and dragged the sack to Green's chamber. Similarly to Bulbasaur's room, Oak's chamber consisted of fire baked bricks forming a colorful mosaic pattern on the ground. Circular windows cut in the walls and a giant fireplace dominated one side. Apparently it served as a bed because Red found the charmander happily rubbing its face against a still burning log.

Green noticed Red and quickly shoved the log back into his fiery bed; he walked out of the stone hearth and dusted his coat free of ash. Bulbasaur showed him the sack full of straw and asked what to do with it, rifling through the dead stalks and retrieving a charcoal slate, Green shrugged when his companion sent him a questioning look. Placing the slate on the stone table, Oak dragged the straw filled sack to a little corner filled with logs, sawdust and other combustible materials. Leaving the sack there, the duo decided to pay Layla a visit.

"What if she's asleep?" Red worriedly queried as they huffed up the stairs.

"Red...Now is not the time to worry about what if's...After you." Green smoothly delivered and patiently waited for his comrade to haul up the staircase. Red glared at him angrily and after sucking a deep breath, he timidly knocked on the door. The rocky gate flew open and the two visibly recoiled on seeing her. "Hello Layla." Green hurriedly greeted when her expression worsened, "we came to thank you for the rooms, they are beautiful and perfect for us." He suavely voiced and tightly smiled. Her plummy visage mellowed and she moved aside to let them in. Meekly, the duo crept into her room and Red soundlessly gasped at the interior. The floor sloped in places and a nest of sable rocks served as a sleeping place. She explained mountainous regions suited her kind. "I see," Oak surveyed the room whilst his best friend scuttled off to explore. "It makes sense and the minimalism in your room is rather nice." He rotated and almost screamed when a bleached skull collection hung on the far wall. "I like your...Art gallery," he feebly grinned and turned to avoid staring at skulls. "I have a question...I received a slate from Wigglytuff and I have no idea what to do with it," He pointed to her slate, a large slab of rock leaning under a crude, square window.

The absol stopped staring at Red who seized the opportunity to roll small stones across the uneven surface of the ground. "You have claws don't you?" She pointed to his paws, "you must sharpen your tips or else they will get dull and therefore be useless in combat." Layla suppressed a yawn. "I will show you the balcony tomorrow if you wish. Right now, we are all tired so let's rest for tonight."

Oak nodded and paused when Red wilted to the uneven floor. Panic welled in his chest as the morning's events replayed in his mind. He sent her an apologetic look but she graced him with a rare smile. Green blinked and the grin vanished, the dark type prowled to Red and raised a paw to nudge him awake, "I'll take him," Charmander declared a bit too quickly, "don't wake him up, Red's been through a lot his morning." Green strode to the peacefully slumbering grass pokemon and wrinkled his nose. Gingerly picking his friend, he dipped his head to Layla and climbed down to the second floor.

With a mighty heave, he tossed Red through the air and waited for him to land safely in the nest of grass. Instead, Red's bulb came loose; he spun in the air and fell on his back.

"The hell!" Layla jumped when the fire type bellowed on the floor below. "What is wrong with you? Can't you even land properly in your own bed?" Charmander's incensed grunts intermingled with Bulbasaur's mellow chuckles. "Not funny Red!" Green ranted, "Not funny at-"

"GO TO SLEEP!" Layla cut in Oak's screaming and a satisfied grin played on her lips on hearing the dragon yelp. She then heard Bulbasaur's inane snickering and chuckling, a few curse words and another hiss of pain before the night peacefully stilled.

* * *

 **A/N:** *Sadly stirs a cup of lukewarm hot chocolate*

To all the readers, thanks for reading my story, may this second chapter soothe your souls.

To all the reviewers, thanks for the warnings. My review section looks like a battleground but heh, publicity right? At Setriel: Your review warmed up my cocoa :D Thanks. At Jack54311: I'm so happy to see you. Direct sequel, won't that go down the living people's route? But Spiritual sequel kinda sounds awesome don't you think?

Once again, I'd like feedback (the nonthreatening kind if you will). And constructive criticism is always appreciated, without the biting and stinging words please. And virtual chocolate cookies for everyone (unless someone prefers cake). Questions are also welcome, I don't bite, unless you're made of chocolate.


	3. Trials of everyday life

**Trials of everyday life**

Mid-morning

Treasure Town

Condominium

Layla hooked her claws on a large stretch of stone and dragged it downwards, the screech of bone on rock, echoed in the room. Gashes crisscrossed the slab and sparks flew from it. She continued honing her claws relentlessly and the tips heated with a agreeable tingle. Amidst the screeching of bone on stone, her acute hearing picked up the absurdly cheerful bulbasaur's humming. The grass type woke early and indolently paced the length of the crumbling pavement, sniffing dew and allowing the sun's watery rays to warm his bud. Noticing a dark presence on the third floor veranda, Red angled his face towards her and beamed a greeting. Repulsed by his jollity, she retreated into her room and groomed. Left to his devices, Bulbasaur ambled along and finally decided to check on his best friend. Climbing to the second floor, he pushed Green's door open; the orange lizard slept, curled tightly amongst red logs and snored softly in the hearth. Red approached the sleeping Oak and beheld the fire type mumbling a string of incoherent words and winding his tail against a burning log. Grimacing at the heat thrown by the fire place, Bulbasaur endured a lengthy growl from his stomach and carelessly woke his friend with what he deemed as a pleasant surprise.

He showered Green with a mixture of sweet scent and paralyze spores.

Cowering under the fire type's acrid stare, Red waited for his companion to thaw from paralysis before suggesting breakfast. Green on the other hand, irritably waved him away and cleaned; rasping tongue over skin. Sighing and not wanting to face a moody Layla early in the morning, the grass monster draped on the sill of a circular window and absorbed snippets of sunlight. Oak eyed the slate, pulled it closer and attempted to sharpen his claws; he hacked on the piece of stone senselessly and checked his steel tips. They gleamed at him, dull and blunt. Deciding to ask their absol friend how exactly he should sharpen his claws, Charmander grabbed a pail of water and doused the roaring bed. He spent the next few minutes trying not to cry at the sight of a smoking, rapidly cooling fire place and when Bulbasaur offered to spray healing spores, the lizard tossed the bucket aside and descended for breakfast.

The duo collectively stiffened on seeing Layla munching a mouthful of berries; Green drew to his full height and stalked towards the table after murmuring a greeting whilst Red shakily glanced at her mouth and scuttled over, squashing up to his best friend. "Thanks for the breakfast Layla!" The seed pokemon chirped and dove into his food whilst Oak mechanically chewed on a slice of seed loaf and berries. The trio ate their breakfast in strained silence and Red, unable to take the suffocating spell, piped up, "so what's our agenda today? I suppose we should head to the guild for more training but we have to go in the afternoon. Are you busy today or can the three of us amble the streets like friends and enjoy life?" Green choked on his bread and reached for a steaming mug of milk.

Red's courage is inversely proportional to his desire to live. The charmander dully concluded.

Absol ran a sable tongue around her jaws and lapped a dish of juice before quietly replying. Both Red and Green agreed she was an agreeable creature if not angered. "I have work in the evening," she clarified, "so this morning I am free. I'll show you around Treasure Town so the two of you won't need to rely on me for every niggling problem you have." Red nodded exuberantly and Green absentmindedly reached for a large leaf and growled at his friend to wipe the traces of berry juice dripping off his jaw. "You can do whatever you like afterwards. This Town has a mart, a park and an eatery. I can't cook so you may head over there if you get sick of eating raw food." Hurriedly Green assured her they were grateful for what she did for them and Layla dismissively shook her head. The seashells on her horn clinked melodiously.

Sunlight splashed on the pavement and heat rolled across town. Red bounced ahead of his friends and drank in the sights of the hamlet. The trio trailed across several streets and bypassed the mart, they marched back to the guild and Layla sailed through the doors, to have a word with the receptionist. Meanwhile, Green and Red examined the village center, it consisted of a circular clearing surrounded by a scattering of aged, mossy stone columns; fine fissures snaked cracked the plinths and some of them broke into two, the pieces lay on the ground, their forms devoured by grass. Bushes and a large, wooden notice board stood to the side, strolling to the board; the duo stood on tip toes and snatched a yellowed sheet of paper. A request.

A plea to find a friend lost in the dungeons.

"Are we really in hell?" Bulbasaur dubiously questioned and pinned the document back to the board. "This...Feels so surreal. This Town is normal and life is peaceful. What is our purpose for being here?" Red exasperatedly questioned and his cheerful facade cracked. "I don't understand why we are alive, this place is quiet and wonderful...shouldn't..." his tone dropped into a whisper when Layla emerged from the guild, "we be punished for what we done?" Green's contemplative expression twisted and he gazed at his friend with a mixture of anger, regret and sadness. The charmander plopped on the grass, his tail dropped and the plants around him steamed and dried. He absentmindedly checked his claws and the misshapen shapes leered at him.

"Red...Let's not talk about this." Oak said, "We will find out why we are here," he promised, "but for now, let's enjoy this peaceful reprieve...Alright?" Green growled and fire escaped his jaws, warily, Red shuffled away from him and grinned brightly at Layla. A satchel hung on her side, scrolls and books poking out of the cloth flap. Pointing to the parchments, Charmander enquired, "What are those? And if you don't mind, could I have a look at them later?"

She shot him a withering look and shook her head. "You don't have time, I confirmed with Manectric, you two must check in the guild before noon or else you won't have anyone to train you, the guild master and his team are on a tight schedule and my working hours vary." Green opened his mouth to ask more questions but the glare Absol sent him, stuffed the questions at the back of his throat. "Let's go, Treasure Town is quite big and it's always growing." A sardonic sneer seized hold of her feline features. "Make sure you keep up."

And with that, she bounded away. A streak of black and white melting into the colorful community.

Blinking, Bulbasaur crawled after her and Green inwardly measured his patience and decided he had enough to keep up with Red's infuriatingly slow pace. Falling in step, the two monsters sluggishly journeyed across cobblestoned paths and dirt stained roads. Buildings and foliage grew on all sides. Banners and papers chased each other in a slight breeze and Red blissfully tumbled across the town.

Utterly lost, the duo arrived at a seedy part of the settlement.

Squeezing through narrow alleys and completely ignoring Charmander's heated warnings in the quest to explore every inch of the seemingly peaceful hamlet, the plant type groaned and scraped through a constricted lane lying between two buildings; the outer covering of his bulb sheared on the un-plastered bricks and he winced in pain. Undeterred, he persevered and eventually, the street spat him in a shadowed alley. A couple of wooden shacks with corrugated tin roofs lay haphazardly and another, wider street lead to a square dotted with tarps and crawling with dark and ghost types. A handful of monsters barked at him whilst passing, and between the gaps formed by their bodies, Red spied stalls and shops heaped with iniquitous objects. Pendants with lackluster gemstones, necklaces of white bone, claws and severed limbs. A mason jar full of dubious candy and above all, a raw, fatty smell permeated the entire area. Bulbasaur wrinkled his nose and backed away when a pack of houndour bore on him. Green materialized and the hell-hounds gave the tiny dragon a look of mock horror before a pair branched off towards him.

A particularly loud thud shook the ground and the pack of dogs petrified and lowered their stubby tails, an all too familiar voice barked at them. "Correct me if I am wrong but I told you two to stay behind me," Layla snapped and Red turned around, glad to see her scowling face for once. "You should at least level up to your second stage of evolution before attempting to set foot in the black market." She rolled her amber eyes, one of the houndour handed her a pamphlet and mumbled about a sale. "I don't need it." She tore the paper and tossed the shreds in the wind; training her glare on Green, who flinched imperceptibly, she added, "I thought you were the more mature one, guess I was wrong, you can't even keep a measly bulbasaur in line."

Near the center of the black market, a dark creature shattered the silence with a snort.

"Our friendship is mutual; we do not intimidate each other," Red declared and instantly regretted the words when Absol whipped around to glower at him; he held his breath as her hackles rose and wondered why she became so angry. A moment passed and an ominous wind flowed from her, the houndour moved away, whimpering with their tails between their legs. Oak reared backwards and shielded himself whilst Red rooted to his spot and unflinchingly met golden eyes. She closed in on them, snarled some more and her tail drooped. "Green and I are best friends and we are fortunate enough to end up here together, he saved my life yesterday and we do not prey on each other's weaknesses. You...Should learn to trust others and not trample on them." The crimson eyed beast voiced, sticky sap oozed from the cracks of his bulb and he quivered. Layla sniffed indifferently and lumbered out of the winding streets, turning back, she barked at them to follow her.

They passed a dojo and Red, the previous threat to his existence forgotten, amiably chattered about mundane topics and Green delivered an occasional comment. Wordlessly, Layla listened to the bulbasaur, grinding her teeth over each other. What did that little weed know anyway? He was lucky to have such an understanding friend. She stopped when silence engulfed the area. Rotating, she beheld the duo standing by the dojo and marveling at it. Sitting on her haunches, she patiently waited for them to exhaust their never ending supply of awe and resume their obligatory romp through Treasure Town. The plant type returned with shining, cerise eyes and launched into a prose describing the way the dojo's polished wooden walls glowed when they reflected the sun; Green vainly tried to get his friend to shut up but unfortunately for him, the sun shone blindingly and Red bubbled like he was a bratty eleven year old child again.

And for the umpteenth time, Bulbasaur wandered off and hollered about the plants beckoning him. He ran through a hedge, rolled across a great carpet of aromatic grass and bumped into a wooden pole. Several grass types, squealing in delight, gravitated towards the newcomer and introduced themselves in euphonious voices. Layla scraped the ground irritably and prepared to wait; Green reluctantly joined her and warbled a lengthy apology. Absol shook her head and ponderously gazed at the marble fountain. "It's fine...We all came here bearing secrets we do not want others to find and he...Cried in his sleep last night." Resting her head on her paws, she studied the charmander. Uncomfortable by the sudden attention, Oak resolved to spear his emerald gaze at Red who rolled in a patch of daffodils. "I am very curious as to what the two of you did to land here." He shuddered at her question. "I understand if you don't want to tell me but you two hardly appear to be criminals..." Layla quieted and a sadistic smile lifted the corners of her mouth when Charmander frowned. "I heard rumors; apparently you and your best friend were some sort of criminal commanders?" Green nodded half-heartedly. "Huh...That doesn't matter anymore, we are all equal here and we are all waiting for salvation. Any tough acting will have the other members of town stripping you to your humble core and tossing you to the Beach of Evocation." When the fire type arched an eyebrow, she explained, "The place where we wake up. The sea robs memories so who ever named it the Beach of Evocation has a twisted sense of humor. Anyway, if you act tough, you must have the expertise and experience to go along with it."

Silently, the flame pokemon noted the ring of white bone fragments encircling her neck and inwardly agreed that she had all the experience and expertise to act like she ruled the world. Her presence exuded danger, it screamed of fear and she wore it proudly like armor. Absol, he contemplated, was rather pretty, the conch shells and raw gems on her horn complimented her burning amber eyes.

May Red have the sense not to point out her feminine features, Green silently prayed and blood drained from his face when his friend returned with a wide smile and a bouquet of flowers leashed tightly in thin vines. Shuffling to Layla, who straightened from the ground, Bulbasaur presented the flowers to her. Her glare could have turned the arrangement of multi colored petunias into grey ash.

 _Goodbye Red._ Oak chanted in his head. _It was nice knowing you in the afterlife..._ He broke off; instead of Layla biting Red's bulb off like she promised, she grudgingly took a single flower and crushed it under her jaws. The bulbasaur cheered and showered the rest of the plants over Oak.

He burned them to a crisp and further contemplated on lighting Red's bulb on fire.

Late afternoon

Treasure Town

Mart area

Absol guided them inside the mart zone and stubbornly refused Red's invitations; instead, she stood at the threshold, off to the side of the grand pole and revised the notes stuffed in her bag. Green wanted to stay with her and read, alas, the bulbasaur, sinfully blithe, dragged him inside and raced off to explore. The outdoor market covered a huge section of land and briefly, it reminded Red of the open air market near Slateport beach. He paused and sniffed the air, imagining the salty atmosphere and Sapphire's wild laughter ringing in his ears. The plant type remembered a vacation and loosely wrapping a tendril around Charmander's forelimb, he dragged his companion throughout the mart. Street performers rendered the air with music, a pair of leavanny danced to the upbeat rhythms of kricketune and gleaming piles of silver coins lay in a triangular heap near their feet. Vendors sat with their wares, a cofagrigus and seviper argued in the streets and other pokemon crowded to quell the quarreling. Colorful tarps shaded numerous stalls and overwhelmed by the rich experience, Red flitted from one store to the other. An Oran berry bush snared his attention and gasping; he immediately rushed to the item and picked it up.

"Green, look! I need to get this for my room, for midnight snacking and food on the go." Bulbasaur exclaimed and put the earthen tub down, gazing at it lovingly.

A garchomp's shadow landed over the duo. "An excellent choice young Bulbasaur," the dragon boomed heartily and the two craned their necks to see his face. "Oran berries are good for health and they are invaluable when you go through the trials." Green narrowed his eyes. Trials and dungeons...Everyone talked about them...What were they? "I have a premium selection of potted berry plants in my store, come and have a look if you want. And the price of the Oran berry bush is only one thousand Poke." The color drained from Red's face and he stammered an apology for having no money. Garchomp grunted, shook his head and scooped the pot plant from the ground. "Then you best get a job and earn your pay, even if this is Gehenna, we all need a means to survive." Forlornly, the bulbasaur and charmander loped out of the market area and Layla raised an eyebrow at their dejected forms.

"He wanted a berry bush but we have no money. Shop keeper said something about getting a job." Oak jerked his head at Red who dug a hole in the ground and planted himself in the hollow.

"...You can think about jobs later, right now, you have lessons with Wigglytuff and I'll be late for work." Absol unsympathetically stated and pointed towards the towering guild. "I trust the two of you know how to get there?" Green replied in affirmative. "Then get going, I might be late so keep the gate unlocked for me."

When they entered through the double doors of the guild, Manectric, proper and poised, greeted them warmly. The duo trudged upstairs and headed straight for the training room on the second floor. Today, a couple of new faces greeted them, a piplup, who kept on stumbling over its rather large head and a rufflet, effortlessly soaring near the rafters of the room. On seeing them, the guild master beamed and Red shot a bullet seed at the fuchsia beast. Again, Wigglytuff commanded them to complete fifteen laps without losing bodily control and to Green's astonishment and mortification, his comrade managed to finish the exercise without complaining or bulb unconsciously leaking. The grass type sent Oak a smug smile when the latter puffed smoke. Ignoring Bulbasaur's sadistic leer, Charmander focused on his laps and willed his protesting muscles to move. Red watched him for a while, silently cheering, before joining Wiggly for advanced lessons.

"Now," the balloon pokemon lectured and Red's focus constantly snapped to Wiggly's blind eye. "You have to learn how to conduct your moves. Pokemon are capable of wreaking devastation, they are able to summon meteor shards, they can use the power of the moon to maim others and even influence nature and place it under control. You are a plant type, you can manipulate trees, sunlight and to a lesser extent, the earth. Water and light are your greatest sources of energy and you need plentiful of it-"

"Wait just a minute!" The seed monster cut in, "What do you mean I have to learn my moves? Shouldn't it come naturally?" Near the back end, Green wheezed and covered himself in a smoke screen. "...I understand, we were once humans and thus we do not have the affinity to conduct ourselves the way pokemon do...And therefore we should learn..." Bulbasaur thought about his numerous attempts to fight Wiggly when the master wanted to sacrifice him, he could not harm a hair on the beast's body and Green fared no better. "So how do I learn these things? And when can I start preparing for acid dripping frenzy plant?" Red queried animatedly, "Just imagine what I could do with barbed vines...My Saur had barbed vines in his mega evolved state." Leaving Red to prattle about his 'Saur' Wigglytuff checked on an exhausted Oak, who lay as a vermillion carpet on the scratched floor.

The guild master picked the inert dragon by the scruff and placed him in one of the ripped couches. Oak curled immediately, wrapping paws around his feeble tail flame. The balloon monster returned to Red, sitting down, he instructed the young pokemon to meditate. Falling silent, Bulbasaur closed his eyes and settled comfortably on the floor, his breathing evened and his muscles relaxed.

Minutes passed.

Sunlight threw dappled shadows on the floor, the lizard's snores echoed in the room and Red concentrated, thick liquid sloshed in the confines of the tightly shut bud and it glowed lime and yellow. Snapping open, it spat a dozen razor leaves. The sharp edged leaflets rocketed outwards and this time, Wiggly ducked as a few sailed over him. Red's eyes widened in alarm and shock melted into delight when the stiff leaves embedded into the wood and refused to fall. Inhaling deeply, Red delved into another bout of quiet contemplation and Wiggly's voice interrupted him:

"That's enough." He waved protests away. "You will only exhaust yourself if you do that, and despite it being your element, synthesizing healing spores is extremely difficult. You should wait till you are more experienced. Remember to get plenty of sunlight and water and make sure your friend is placed in the fire." The grass type shivered involuntarily. Fire. "Go home, eat and rest." Seeing the mellow smile on Wiggly's face, the crimson eyed beast offered on of his own. "Come in for at least a week and then I'll sign the two of you at the dojo," Wigglytuff winked, "Master Mienshao will teach you advanced moves but you have to be in top shape before thinking of entering her dojo. Damn lady is pretty strict and her standards are ridiculous." Bundling Green in a stack of large leaves, he handed the parcel to Red who staggered underneath its weight. "Remember, same time tomorrow." The guild master called as the grass type tottered out.

Several days later

Guild

Second floor training chamber

A thick fog of black choked the room and a web of vines snaked across the floor. Red, his entire body glistening with a spray of fresh water, cautiously inched forward and next to him Piplup made a concentrated effort not to land her heavy head on the sensory network. In the air, rufflet and charmander surveyed the area, the lizard dangling from the predatory bird's powerful talons. Somewhere in the vast room, Wigglytuff glided and the four pokemon tried to pinpoint his presence. A rush of wind whipped past Bulbasaur and his bulb cracked open. With unerring accuracy, he fired a set of razor leaves and a water gun followed close behind.

Splat.

It hit nothing.

"Do you know where he is?" Piplup asked and rotated suspiciously, she tried peering through the gloom but to no avail. Charmander's smoke screen worked as a double edged sword, although the guild master failed to see them, they too, were unaware of his presence. Above, Rufflet screeched and flapped its wings desperately. Green slipped from his grasp and thudded to the ground. Red screamed in agony as his best friend charred the tangle of vines spread across the floor. They heard a noise. A tiny snort and the bird's keen eyes spotted their guild master travelling through the smoke and making a course for the solitary fire type. A gust blew the smoke apart and for a moment, Wiggly froze.

Later on, he looked back on the training test and commended himself on a job well done, sneering in Darkrai's face when the nightmare offshoot paid him a visit.

Like clockwork, the four creatures sprung. Vines snaked over Wiggly and trapped him to the spot, piplup charged forward with a peck, puncturing Wiggly's elastic skin before jumping away. Rufflet produced a chopping wind, severing Red from his vines whilst Charmander reared and a fire ball erupted from his mouth, swamping the pink monster in a wreath of coppery flames. The smaller beasts watched with bated breath, all of them inwardly proud at their efforts. Oak puffed his chest and promptly deflated when the guild master brushed himself clean and grinned at them, he stepped out of the flames and praised the quartet on a job well done.

Rufflet ruffled his feathers indignantly, disappointed by his performance. "We couldn't even scratch you," he dourly muttered and Oak nodded in consent. Diminished, Bulbasaur propped on the window sill and profusely thanked piplup as she spat a bubble of water on him, he turned and listened to conversation as Wiggly placated the hot headed duo and repeatedly stressed the importance of team work.

"Under no circumstances do you venture into the dungeons alone..." The master's mind briefly flashed to Layla who did exactly that, "Team work is essential and whilst you two are powerful individuals, without your friends, you would not be able to conduct this attack." Green nodded and dipped his head respectfully; he sent piplup and Red a toothy grin. "Rufflet, you are still dissatisfied with yourself, you and Piplup will join me for me for extra training sessions." Wiggly's tone grew soft, threating. "I have to do something about that immeasurable pride of yours or else you will suffer a sad and miserable existence here in Treasure Town, if you manage to live that long. I have a feeling the ghosts will flay you first." The room dissolved into a deathly silence and the eaglet stepped back, avoiding the guild master's icy stare. Watery eyes widening, Wiggly quickly brought a fat fist to his ear and spoke, "Mel, uh...Yes they are ready. I did fix that sign! Tell that stupid Tamen to get his eyes corrected!" He puffed angrily. "What? Yes I do remember I have a mission with Rooque you don't have to remind me every hour. I'll leave Red and Green to you, make sure Layla goes with them...Sometimes that child worries me. Later." He beckoned the fire and grass types to him and dismissed the others. Green and Red followed Wiggly to the first floor; he directed them to the giant meeting area branching from the foyer and without a word, disappeared.

The two, confused, pushed their way into the room and beheld a gothitelle waiting for them. The psychic levitated a few inches off the ground and a crown of polished jewels gleamed on its head. "Welcome." A voice resonating like bells, greeted them and the duo halted in their tracks. A myriad of pendants glimmered on Gothitelle's bow shaped appendages and she sailed across to inspect the new comers. "I suspect Wiggly failed to mention me." The two beasts merely gaped at her and she sighed. Opposite her, Red exhaled as well and diffused a sweet scent, flushing meekly. "I go by the name of Melody. Unfortunately for the two of you, you must now embark on your first trial without prior preparations; this is due to Wiggly insisting that Layla take companions with her when she braves the trials." Instead of listening to the information she relayed, Bulbasaur focused on the sound of Gothitelle's voice. It pealed like wind chimes. Her voice rose and dipped like the accents of the ocean; it wormed into his ear and curled its way into his heart. Bulbasaur melted, his bud opened and startlingly red roses bloomed on his back. Green, in a similar hypnotized state, felt his skin heat to a feverish degree. To distract himself, he quickly glanced around and poked his best friend who showered rose petals to the floor. "...I bet my crown that none of you actually listened to what I said." Melody shook her head and circled the chamber. She curbed the desire to roll her eyes when Red sprouted more roses. The charmander's tail happily whipped back and forth.

Stupid Wiggly, she cursed the guild master and spent another moment cursing herself.

Red blinked and wondered why he sat in a carpet of crimson petals. Next to him, Green scrunched his face, tail weakly slapping the floor. The bulbasaur stood and rotated, noting a spray of blood red petals on the stone tiled floor, he gazed dumbly, first at Oak who appeared even more puzzled and then at the gothitelle who floated a meter away from them. Coughing, Red introduced himself and politely asked if she needed them.

"Yes..." her voice vibrated like plucked violin strings and a zany smile rolled across the plant type's maw. "But first, pay ATTENTION!" Melody screeched to no avail. Inhaling, she snapped her fingers and fed her message directly to them.

 _You will compete in a trial_ , monotone buzzed in their ears, _beyond the forest lays your location and the two of you shall accompany Layla. Try to stay alive at all costs. Time is short; I regret not imparting more advice to you. The absol is leaving; meet her at the entrance of the guild. Go now._

When Gothitelle severed the psychic link, Charmander, upright and rule bound, scampered out of the room on all fours whilst Bulbasaur, a rule breaker and righteous blood knight, first gazed at her wondrously before shuffling out, he popped another handful of pink roses, bumped into the door and tumbled over the stairs, landing with a thump on top of his fire type comrade.

Outside, Layla's expression dripped disbelief when Charmander informed they will be accompanying her to the dungeon, he sounded unsure of the message he relayed. A faraway look churned in the depths of the Bulbasaur's ruby irises and he chewed on the stem of a rosebud. Her horn tingled, foretelling the vestiges of disaster and her senses screamed at her to go alone. Absol, the bringer of disasters, they taunted her. When she came close, the other pokemon fled. Shaking her head, she growled at them to return home but once again, Red surprised her by calmly spitting his half chewed rose and asserting their position. Green irritably wiped the remains of a saliva soaked blossom off him and swiped at his best friend. Growing increasingly angry, she watched the two raining a volley of insults and curses at each other, throwing vague references of their human lives around. From the broken, wrath fuelled conversation, she understood Red and Green were rivals, they hated each other's guts and by some funny twist of fate, banded together to form an unshakable friendship. "...I don't need anyone to help me in the dungeons!" Layla cut their quarrel short and Bulbasaur glared at her, he lectured her on the importance of teamwork and how the guild master was worried about her, in response, she bared her teeth and heard Charmander rumble throatily. "I do not need team work from a bubbling bud of tree sap and a dragon kid who clutches his tail like it's a teddiursa bear." Absol snarled.

Bubbling tree sap? Red's jaw hung open, his mien aghast, the bud on his back bubbled cheerfully.

Charmander flattened himself; Layla's words scored a critical hit to his pride.

Teddiursa bear...His mind mercilessly reminded him.

"Whatever, I had no idea Green liked hugging bears but I assure you he is formidable in battle; He wasn't the runner up champion for nothing." Bulbasaur stage whispered and Oak's image shattered further.

* * *

Early evening

Outskirts of Treasure Town

Forest area

Their destination lied south west of Treasure Town. The trio set off with the dying light of the sun searing their backs. Bulbasaur, apprehensive to leave in the dark, lugged a huge sack of Oran berries, gummis and bottles of water, Green wallowed in the misery of his shattered pride and Layla, fierce and billowing ominous winds, led the procession through the endlessly shifting woods. Mist curled from between scoured trees trunks and soaked blades of grass as the trio trampled across the forest floor. Charmander shivered and Red pushed forward, his crimson gaze unwavering from the absol bounding in front of them, his strength ebbed and he recalled Gothitelle's words. Everyone in this town preached about trials and sins but none of them explained what these trials were. Slightly guilty for not doing the necessary research, he popped an Oran berry in his mouth and ate it, relishing the sweet, tangy taste of the healing fruit. The woods grew thicker and the light mist rolled into an opaque fog. As much as the seed monster liked the water clogged air licking over his skin, the fire type slogged through the towering bunches of grass and gasped for air. A pained noise escaped the back of Green's throat.

Why was he not being punished?

Red wondered time and time again.

They stopped half way for Green to catch his breath and grateful for the reprieve, Charmander snorted fire, coughing flames and breathing embers till the mist thinned and the air dried. Atop a stumped tree trunk, Layla unfurled a withered map and pointed to a dot west of their location, she spoke about a dungeon and the need to conquer it. When pressed for details, she clamped shut and grew quiet. Her amber eyes darted nervously and the duo wisely fell silent.

"Let's keep going." Green rasped and lumbered forward. Water seeped into his leathery skin and he shivered, the lizard longed to dig his blunt claws in the comforting grooves of a burning branch.

Around them, the woods woke, humming ghostly whispers and wails of promises long forgotten. Scared by the haunting voices surrounding them, Red scooted next to Green, uncaring if he scorched his bulb. His eyes flickered towards Layla who forged ahead, hacking the overgrown foliage aside with gleaming, obsidian claws. Dusk fell. Sunlight ceased to shine altogether and the forest floor bathed in the muted glow of burnt orange and garnets.

The mist coagulated to a solid cloud of milk white.

It clogged pores and forced itself down throats.

Choking them.

A rush of vermillion flames cleared the path before the clingy tendrils claimed the area once more.

Absol cast protect. The hungry fog pounded against the spherical barrier and Red watched, intimidated by the sentient fog. Safe inside the bubble, Oak ignited his tail flame and it blazed brightly, drying the dew on his skin. Layla weaved through the gloom and the three of them, enclosed in the fiery bauble, rolled past moaning woods and trees. Branches whipped the barrier, creating multicolored ripples on its hardened surface. As they neared a clearing, the protect shattered.

"What did you do that for?" Red demanded, eyes nervously flashing and legs shaking, Charmander, who formerly showed signs of life, slouched to the ground and Layla angled her face to the yellow moon hanging in the sky.

She drew their attention to a giant, grotesque, wooden thing in the distance. "We are here," Absol announced, "this is the dungeon of lust. Get ready to confront yourself. I cannot stress how difficult it is to complete just one of them, but you must go through the trials." Her lamp like eyes bored into Red who quivered next to his best friend. "I heard you warbling about punishment last night." The bulbasaur looked away, "Here you go. We have to go inside, brave the dungeon, fight the boss and reflect on our sins. Are you ready?"

Her words sounded surprisingly gentle and it did not suit her. At this moment, Bulbasaur determined he would rather have a raving, perpetually grumpy Layla than the beast exuding fear. Layla's hooked nails dug into the soft earth and she gazed at him, awaiting his decision.

Are you ready?

No.

 _No_ , his mind shied away from the punishment, he wanted to curl in his nest of fragrant leaves and chew on Oran berries.

Red slowly nodded and glanced at Green who dipped his head in agreement.

Let's go.

The dungeon loomed and the trio paused to ogle at the shape of the domicile. Bile rose in Oak's throat when he comprehended just what he stared at. A giant, wooden, baby doll; lying on its side. The surface of the baby bore centuries of scratch marks. Wide fissures bled from its lips and hollow, black eye sockets stared at the trial goers blankly. A splash of psychedelic wind gusted around them and the baby's mouth groaned open. Layla leapt, her talons scrabbling on the surface for a hold, she yelled at the gaping duo to follow her. Mist frothed around the base of the doll's head and swirled in a mush of blinding colors. Swallowing audibly, Red hooked his vines and pulled himself up till he stood next to Layla, on the bridge of the wooden baby's nose. Green climbed slowly, joined them on the outcrop and the doll's cavernous mouth stretched further. The scars on its lips widened and Absol jumped in purposefully. Red plunged in afterwards and Charmander hacked out a piece of wood and lighted it with his tail flame, he clutched the makeshift torch and dove into the inky blackness. Echoes of a child's merry laughter and sorrowful cries reverberated around him and he fell face first on a smooth, crystalline floor.

The baby laughed louder.

"Someday, I'll be permanently crippled if I keep landing on my bud more often," Bulbasaur joked and waited for Layla to peel him off the floor. "Help me...Please," he begged when she barked at him and nudged Charmander upright. The two stared at him for a moment then conveniently ignored him to scrutinize their surroundings. "Guys, I'm over here." The red eyed beast fruitlessly waved stubby extremities in the air. Green roared a brilliant flamethrower and the haunting reflection of the baby's cries, abruptly stopped. He stomped towards his flailing companion, flaming paws melting the glassy structure of the floor, and helped his friend upright. Oak scooted when Bulbasaur tried to thank him by blowing a sweet scent up his stuffed nostrils. Layla surveyed the area and twitched when the duo bickered behind her. "So, this place looks like a setting for a video game." Red offered and pointed at the various platforms whizzing up and down over a vast chasm. The floor sparkled and parts of it grew clusters of thick crystal beams. Each beam pulsed and the interior resonated with soft glows of pastel pink and baby blue. "The view is beautiful." The grass type breathed and splayed on the floor to drink in the ethereal sight.

A crystal beam shattered and with it, the ambience cracked.

Horror stricken, Green and Red watched a tangle of limbs emerging from the shattered crystals. A lopunny and a gothita flounced towards them and Layla screeched a command. Unthinking, the duo jumped on a moving platform and teetered to it. Absol smoothly bounced from one whizzing podium to the other, her snow white fur rippling over powerful muscles. Failing to emulate her grace, Red and Green improvised instead; the lizard used his tail to propel himself whilst the grass monster painstakingly created a thin platform of vines to traverse over. They watched a mass of pokemon gather on the far side, the beasts hissed threats, jumped and struck the floor. A breeze blew from the east and carried a burst of glowing particles with it. Red, crawling half way through his vine bridge, suddenly stopped. His tendrils unraveled and with a confused pout on his scaly face, he fell into the fathomless pit below.

"RED!" Green screamed. He turned circles on the platform and watched the bright green bulb descend into the darkness. His tail frantically beat the stage. "Layla!" He hollered and pointed to the winking speck, "Red just fell, he..."

His vision melted into each other.

Charmander giggled uncontrollably and Layla barked at him to stay put. Puffing steam, she tightly reigned herself, the winds and glowing particles inflicted confusion, Absol chanted in her head and refused to be fazed. On the hovering platform, Green completed three rotations and launched into the chasm. She bit down a growl as he snickered senselessly. The disaster pokemon blitzed next to him, sinking her teeth into the scruff of his neck. Charmander punched her, searing the cloak of fur hanging over her face, giggling, he set the glass platform on fire and the stage melted beneath her feet.

It cracked and she let go of the lizard as the two of them plunged.

They landed on a narrow strait of multicolored crystals. Near them, Red lay on his side, vicious green fluid leaking from his bruised bulb. A rain of cyan particles billowed in the chasm and Layla blew them away with a razor wind. Trotting to Red, she examined him, tugged a few berries out of her satchel and fed it to him. On approaching Green, she reeled back when the fire type stirred and shot upright, he calmed down after confirming they were all safe.

The space around them resembled a skeleton of bridges and crystal spires. Underneath, the floor opened into an absolute blackness. Globules of pink and blue light danced in the cavern, offering a fragmented view of the area. Marching in a single file, Layla warned them to steer clear of the crystalline beams and when Red crept past one, he spied the petrified forms of a gardevoir and mienshao entangled together. Their eyes rotated behind glass coffins and he uttered a fearful squeak. Eventually, they clambered on a wide platform, claws clinking on the surface. Layla stopped and sniffed the air; she appeared to be searching for something. "Could you give us an idea of what we should do here?" Green questioned and sat on the floor. "I...For a minute, I blanked out on the platform. There is no way I'll ever throw myself at Red like that. It makes no sense." Charmander shook his head and peered into the bright gloom.

"Wow, thanks so much Green. I'll remember your words the next time I hurtle off a cliff." Red snarkily delivered.

"Knowing you, it's entirely possible."

The disaster pokemon grunted, "Quiet you two...This is exactly why I did not want you to come with me." She exhaled and tugged a sheet from her satchel. "I didn't have enough time to research but this is Lust's vault and we are here to confront and learn how to curb our desires. This dungeon is composed of fight and psychic pokemon," she nodded to the faint outlines squashed together in a crystal beam, "and from what I saw, they emerge from those glass pillars and attack. The winds, orbs of light and mists of color inflict status ailments." Absol relaxed her muscles. "And these ailments include confusion, sleep, nightmares and infatuation. Be alert and aware. I don't want to keep saving your sorry behind all the time." She angled her face upwards and Bulbasaur timidly enquired if she wanted something. "I am looking for the trial marker...Basically, it is a depressing poem."

Depressing poem, the fire and grass monster contemplated and ogled at her. "Does it speak of death, destruction and rotting flesh?" Bulbasaur queried and she wrinkled her nose.

"I said depressing Red, not disgusting and morbid." Her amber eyes lit up. "Found it and let's go. Once we read the poem, the real trial starts," Layla informed and Oak suppressed a groan; he was drained before the real test. Red, who exhausted his supply of happiness, doggedly crawled after her; the trio crossed expanses of glowing crystals and alighted before a large, wooden sign hammered on an exquisite post. Three pairs of eyes skirted over graceful script and deep in the dungeon, a baby sung the words:

Intoxication taking hold

Of your mind. It molds

Your desires into many folds.

Into a maze of lust you are cajoled.

Poor soul, you are controlled

Till death robs a body cold

Thus you are enrolled,

In a place where punishment is doled

Mortal sins exposed,

Salvation…uncertain and in a future untold.

A spell of silence claimed them.

Deep in the wooden doll, a tempest howled, blowing colored particles of dust everywhere.

"Does this mean that going through the trials is fruitless?" Bulbasaur's voice rung discordantly in the eerily silent space. "In the last line, it says: Salvation is uncertain...Then, why are we doing this?" he asked. Layla's fur rose and she bared her teeth. Dumb neophyte.

But he had a point.

She smoothed the ruffled fur on her chest and replied, "The consequences of not completing the trials are far worse. Come on, if we stay in here, we will go mad. Do not hesitate to attack and defend yourselves from the denizens in here, they are not like us, despite appearing as pokemon." Shouldering past her gawking companions, Layla continued, "These creatures are ghosts...remnants of those who were forgotten...Those who refused to complete the dungeons or ones defying their fate. Here you don't ask questions, you simply do what you are told." She paused and faced them. "Here...You do not have the freedom of will." Turning around, she broke into a run, her form gliding over the crystal ground and the duo followed her as elegantly as they could. The flat plain around them burst into shards of crystals as a congregation of tangled arms and legs punched out of pillars and sailed towards them. Layla ran faster, the dragon hot on her heels, his tail bopped wildly with each step; far behind them lagged Red, who shouted encouragements to himself and hobbled with all his might. The procession of mienshao, gothita, lopunny and gardevoir drew closer, their ghastly wails melting into a synchronized growl as they clawed for prey. One of the rabbit pokemon somersaulted through the air and shattered the floor when she landed. Roaring, Absol wasted no time in digging her teeth in its throat. Green froze, hyperventilating when Layla tore the lopunny's head off. The spirit dissolved into a cloud of pink whilst Absol licked her lips and continued hurtling. She glanced over her shoulder and implored them to move. Oak careered several meters before twisting backwards and witnessing the group of female pokemon almost swallowing Red.

The grass type's legs ached and lurched clumsily. Clouds of toxic dust escaped his partially open bud, keeping the closest gothita at bay. Red knew he lacked speed.

Tottering to a stop, he turned around.

New voices assaulted his ears. Admonishing him to push forward and not look back, but Bulbasaur knew the feat was impossible. Above Green's worried snarls, Layla spat acrimonious words. Her tone vacillated, revealing concern and she repeatedly urged him to be sensible. No one in their right mind could possibly stand up to so many pokemon, Layla shrieked. Red focused, a thousand strategies played in his head as the hoard rushed towards him. Each of the monsters sported a black crest, the ink shining on their bodies. They were branded like slaves, the scarlet eyed beast mused and he spied collars hanging from their necks. Closing his eyes, he inhaled. Green marched back to him, with every intention of dragging Red along whilst Layla, tail flicking angrily, towered over his un-evolved form. The grass type firmly rooted himself and smiled at the disaster pokemon, his lips curling crookedly over his jaws. She tossed her head furiously and demanded if he had a death wish, to which he confidently replied:

"They don't call me a fighter for nothing you know." His grin grew wider. "I love fighting and right now, I am doing it for the sake of my friends." His bulb cracked open.

And a network of vines lashed out, spearing into the mass of jostling enemies.

* * *

 **A/N** : Oh yes, I forgot to mention it in the previous chapters, but this fic has religious undertones and I hope not to offend anyone. You are welcome to correct any mistakes I made.

At Setriel: Thank you for your continuous support, I hope this story lives up to your standards.

Constructive criticism and reviews are always appreciated. Tell me your thoughts and arguments, they are always a pleasure to read and think on. Have a nice day and chocolate chip cookies to all.


	4. Desire is half of life

**Desire is half of life, indifference is half of death**

In a room draped by velvet sheets and heavy tapestries, the sides of a silver candelabrum dripped melted wax. Flames flickered, struggling to penetrate the gloomy chamber and dissipate a mawkish, metallic whiff. In an attached bathroom, bare feet absorbed cold from marble tiles. Water slipped over the muted shine of an ornate dagger and splashed in a ceramic basin; tingeing red as it whirl-pooled down the drain. The faucet shut off and the room became quiet as a coffin. Raising the silver dagger, a man admired his reflection, a pair of cinnamon eyes, dark hair falling over his forehead and a quiet, a polite smile. His sigh echoed in the bathroom and he grabbed a towel to wipe the blade clean. Cradling the weapon, he ran his fingers over the carved grip and stopped to caress the jewel embedded in its handle. Slipping the weapon back into its sheath, he returned to the bedroom, nose wrinkling on seeing a body on the bed.

Now...What to do with the corpse?

Fair grounds were perfect places for dates, Eres mused as he bit into a ball of cotton candy. Pink. His favorite color. A Ferris wheel sliced the air in the far corner. Tents sprung, their colorful flags waving lazily in a breeze. The aroma of fried meat, rolls, coffee and drinks wafted from every direction as he paced the grassy clearing and smiled amiably at the fairgoers. In the distance, children's screams intermingled with their pokemon as a giant, motorized swing ground into motion. Rooted to his spot, he hypnotically witnessed the carousel rotate and morph into a blur of colors. The grounds oozed life and happiness. Nodding to an elderly couple, he ran his hand through a shock of jet black hair, rolled the sleeves of his shirt and continued in his aimless wandering. A perfect date. His mind sought and when he crammed the last of the sugary confectionary in his mouth, he blinked and went back for more. The woman serving him spoke like she struck the earth. Forceful. Not his type, Eres contemplated, despite the gushing comments she passed about his appearance; he simply grinned politely and exited the shop, his mind preoccupied with the specks of hazel in her eyes. He frowned.

She wouldn't do.

Children, cradling baby pokemon, galloped past him and he breathed in their innocence. Teenagers, slouching, trundled in a group and he smiled when a bevy of females stopped to gape. They whispered heatedly, commenting on his looks and hair behind raised palms.

The corners of his eyes crinkled and the girls left, red faced, muttering and fanning their faces.

He hated being alone. Eres relished the enjoyment of loving someone... and in turn, being loved whole heartedly. His heart clenched. The pureness in love did not exist anymore; it was always tainted by desires...By other emotions. Jaw clenched, he looked up to the wide, blue sky. The world rushed around him in a whirlwind of colors, emotions and broken promises, and his breathing hitched. Fingers itching, he longed to brush them against a cold surface. Holding his head high, he weaved through throngs of people, pausing every few minutes to peer at the individuals snagging his attention. Eres helped an old lady to the food stand and guided a lost child back to their parents. A young boy cried after his balloon flew away and he bought the ruddy faced boy a new one. The man contemplated on riding one of the swing sets, or perhaps the rollercoaster? The colorful carriage shot past him, dipping and rising and his stomach did a back flip with it. Grimacing, Eres stared at his hands, his second ball of candy finished and he sought the nearest tent in order to purchase another one. This time, he opted for the soft baby blue and closed his eyes, gratefully inhaling the sugary scent. A memory surfaced, peals of laughter and a gentle admonition for his addiction to candy. He smiled sadly to himself, putting an end to the memory.

And the person who made it.

Striding past the shooting gallery, he waved at a young girl as she exuberantly showed her prize to anyone willing to spare a glance. He drew closer to the Ferris wheel, intending to ride it and soak the fairground from the sky. A greasy, discarded snack paper blew past and Eres ducked to avoid having the litter smack into his face. Winding his way to the giant snake of people and their respective monsters emerging from the foot of the wheel, he stopped and gazed helplessly at the mingling mob. Not interested in spending an entire day standing in a line, he rotated and resolved to try his luck with another ride when he saw her. A strong wind buffeted her caramel locks and the strands sailed in the air. Eres forgot about the cotton candy creating a sticky mess in his hands and failed to see a gallade glowering at him from the shadows. His heart hammered in his chest; quickly, he ran sugar coated fingers through his hair and greedily crammed the last of the precious candy into his mouth. Wiping his hands on charcoal slacks, he willed his cheeks to stop reddening and approached her confidently. When she turned to face him, his breath caught in his throat on witnessing silvers of happiness dancing in amber irises. Small wrinkles formed at the corners of her mouth and eyes, signifying a life seeped in merriment. She smelled of coffee and sun and Eres smiled wider, unable to contain the sheer pleasure erupting from his heart.

They went for dates, at the coffee shops bursting with many more happy couples like them; and walked the streets, sharing ice cream and content smiles. They prayed underneath starlight and on spongy grass and undiluted happiness coursed through Eres' veins. Bit by bit, he noticed, when she looked at others and her grin grew wider than the one she gave him, he clenched his jaws when other people presented her gifts or passed a harmless compliment. And he buried his face in a pillow when she went on dates with her female friends. This was all natural, he told himself and she always assured she loved him. During moments of quiet contemplation, Eres thought about her smile and carefree giggles, he held his hands and prayed for her to never leave his side.

He prayed zealously.

Barely two months later, the man stood bare feet in the bathroom, the cold bit into his skin; he scrubbed blood off his dagger and wiped the excess droplets of water from the metal surface. Bringing the weapon to his face, he admired his reflection, noting madness and desire swirling in brown irises. Hair slicked back and weighed by water, his lips stretched into a perfect, polite smile. Tucking the dagger in a pocket close to his chest, he crept back to the bedroom and grabbed a pair of gloves. Her inert body, clad in a sparkling, silver evening gown, sat in a chair, pale fingers locked over a bouquet of roses wrapped in lilac cellophane. Eres tore his gaze away from her hollow eyes. They will never glitter with sunlight, he mused almost sadly, he will never see stars gallivanting in them again.

It was her fault for not loving him wholly. He placated himself and dumped the body in a river.

Coffee shops were ideal for people watching; Eres, balancing a steaming mug in his hands, sipped the hot beverage and scowled. He poured more sugar in his mug, stirred it and took another experimental sip. Perfect. The sweetness rotted his teeth. Sunlight struck a miniscule, crystal ornament sitting forlornly on the coffee table and he lost himself in the multicolored light splayed on the wooden table top. The glass door, attached with a bell, jingled multiple times as people entered and left. Some of them graced him with smiles as enigmatic as his own, others frowned, wondering if he had nothing better to do than while his entire morning in a coffee house; and then there were the curious ones, their glances never lasting for more than a second. They flitted like beautifly, studying him, dissecting him. The braver ones asked questions and he made friends. At times his little friends walked into the coffee shop, bearing large balls of cotton candy, ice-cream and gap toothed grins. Eres laughed along with them, listening intently to their stories and wishing to go back to a time when smiles meant happiness, and merely not a mask to cover an ugly truth.

He bumped into another girl who squeezed color back in his monochromatic life. It happened as an accident. Head stuffed in the confusing clouds of life, Eres absentmindedly accepted his daily dose of hot coffee and swung around to march back to his table. Unseeing, he collided with someone and the scalding liquid splashed on a ruffled blouse. Gaping and apologizing profusely, he fished a wad of tissue and presented them to her. She shook her head; pearly earrings dangled rhythmically and assured him she will survive. Her voice chimed like crystal and he smiled politely. They talked. Eres got to know her as a young woman who suffered the loss of a loved one. He sympathized; he too, worked his way through the stages of grief.

The woman always kept a small notebook with her and at odd times, she pulled it out and penned a word, a sentence or a paragraph before quickly shutting the leather bound note and burying it in the folds of her skirt. During dates, he watched her count the petals on a daisy obscured by brambles, she touched dew drops and pressed her cold fingers against his skin. Beneath her flowery exterior, she hid a calculated personality and one afternoon, as they sat on a bench and talked, he spied fire in her eyes moments before she tore off, yelling at a teenager for shoplifting. Alarmed, he followed her and found the boy quivering and meekly handing over his swiped goods. Exhaling angrily, she stalked back to the shop and the owners fell on her and showered them in praises and gratitude.

"I am a policewoman." She proudly exclaimed and Eres' heart drummed faster, in happiness and anticipation.

Will she ever find out?

Her hands were calloused, but he held them with all his might. The blemishes signified strength. Rules dictated her posture. And her softness was a reprieve from the life she lived.

Yet...It happened again. His fingers itched, the desire burned brightly. He violently quashed the feeling of want.

And caved into it eventually.

Candle light dinners were romantic; he smiled and fixed an emerald tie whilst staring at the full length mirror in his bedroom. He wondered what to do with his hair, leave it in untamed curls over his forehead or slick it back? Eres smoothed the creases in his starched, white shirt and folded the sleeves till his elbows; he reached for the dagger hanging on the edge of the mirror and tucked the knife into a pocket. Checking his reflection again, the grinned, the corners of his lips tilted suavely. A perfect gentleman. The doorbell rang; he messed his hair further and hurried to the lounge. The heavy walnut door groaned open and his face lit up on seeing her. Framed by the doorway, she appeared resplendent in a sapphire evening gown and a ring of multicolored crystals lay teasingly on delicate collarbones. Bowing, he offered a gloved hand; however, she giggled and swept right past him. Thick, velvet curtains smothered outside light and noise and alone together, the duo appreciated each other's company with muted murmurs and intimate talk. He listened to her speak, noting a smear of bright red across her lips and cheek as she ate. Forks and knives clinked on fine china. Candles burned lower and melted, oozing wax across the intricate metal work of the candelabra. The clock ticked and the night stretched long.

Eres rose to escort her back to the door. One hand reached for the door handle and the other slipped into his pocket, retrieving the silver dagger. The woman faltered backwards, a hand over her heart. The delicate features of her face twisted into surprise and liquefied into fear. Quick and calculative, her honey brown eyes darted about, searching for an escape. Unfortunately, a handsome young man, flashing an ornate dagger in her face, barred the only escape route. Eres simpered, all traces of politeness gone and softly demanded why she did not love him wholly, she refused to answer. Instead, she moved backwards, her fashionable heels dragging over an expensive Persian carpet. Twin grooves formed on the patterned weaves.

Her back pressed against a curtained wall and her chest heaved as she sucked air. Eres slithered closer, deliberately slow in his pace. He waited for her to close her eyes, signaling the hopelessness of hope. She stared into him, her gaze clear and bright.

And flashing with thunder.

Eres blinked and looked down, a splash of red bloomed brightly on his pristine shirt.

"You killed my sister." She whispered fiercely. A war cry. "And the authorities did nothing to help me." A cruel smile wound her smudged lips, "so I decided to take matters in my own hands."

Blood was warm when it stained your skin. Eres groggily pondered.

"My sister meant the world to me." He sensed and heard unbearable pain. His knees buckled and the ornate dagger fell from unfeeling hands. "She...Often talked about an amazing man who loved her. She trusted you and you killed her!" Thunder struck the room and shattered his eardrums. Her words beat him, his consciousness bounced from clarity to nothingness. "And I did this because no one else would."

He scoffed, a strangled sound escaped his lips and his eyes grew heavy. She cried, tears slipping down her cheeks as she twisted the knife deep into his chest. Love for her sister, fuelled her actions.

Eres finally understood that desire and love were two different things.

His lukewarm body hit the carpet, driving the dagger deeper in his chest and washing his body with a numbing pain. She peeled her gloves and threw them on the floor, next to his face; thereafter, the woman hitched her dress and stepped over him.

In the final moments of life, he heard the door bang as it closed.

It echoed like brontide, the low rumble of distant thunder.

* * *

Late night

Outskirts of Treasure Town

Lust's Dungeon

"Red, what the _heck_ are you doing?"

"What the heck are _you_ doing Green?" His best friend grouched and Charmander stared at a steaming pile of violets in his paw, the gardevoir standing before him, batted her eyelashes and grinning toothily, he handed the half wilted flowers to her. Accepting it, she gently pinched his cheek, sending him reeling backwards. On the other end, Red basked in the attention of a horde of female pokemon. They cooed and complimented his bulb as he sprouted rose buds and blue violets. Green flushed when a lopunny brushed past him, forgetting the gardevoir, he tailed her zealously whilst she flounced across the floor. Drawing closer, she whipped around and viciously connected her hind leg with his stomach, sultry demeanor melting to reveal vicious blood lust. Coughing, Oak blew air kisses and sailed through the cavernous space of the dungeon, landing on the glassy floor with a sickening splat. His collar bone snapped and oblivious to the pain, he allowed a gothita to embrace him. Instead of being soothed and healed, the dark psychic leached life and giddily, he told her his life was all hers. Face screwing in utter disgust, Layla watched from a distance, baring her fangs at the two idiots who landed themselves into trouble mere seconds after talking tough. For a moment, grudging respect bloomed in her chest when Red stoutly faced the group of rabid pokemon. Grim determination seized hold of his normally cheerful irises and he speared his enemies mercilessly. Alas, the combined power of the screeching crowd's cute charm tided both of them and Absol fled when the enemies set their sights on her.

From her perch, she snatched a paper from her satchel and determined a course to the upper levels. If she gave the crystals a wide berth and slipped through the glowing winds, she might make it into Eres' throne room before dawn. Muscles bunching, Layla prepared to spring to the next crystal ledge, however, a particularly loud shout from Red snared her attention and she bared teeth when he used his vines to create a heart and wave it cheerfully. So...Her mind poisonously offered, he could draw shapes in the air with his vines but when it comes to doing anything remotely useful, the grass type melts into useless tree sap. Ignoring the gross poetry both he and Green recited on the floor, she jumped, her paws scrabbled on the smooth surface and she hurled up the next platform.

Guilt forced her to peer downwards. Her travelling companions bumbled in a life sapped daze.

Having no qualms of leaving them behind, she faced the darkness and hesitated, a tremor wracked her body. Those two only slowed her down, but if she abandoned them, the guild master will be less than happy. Wigglytuff ruled with iron justice and anyone caught breaking the rules or betraying other pokemon without a valid reason, was subjected to punishment. A week on the Beach of Evocation drove the most hardened criminals to madness.

Layla dropped to the ground silently and crept behind the duo whilst they yelled flowery prose.

Planting herself firmly, Absol gulped in a deep breath and roared. The party in front of her paused and some of the lower leveled enemies scampered to safety. Good. A few of the evolved pokemon peeled away from the two anguished males and sashayed towards her, their eyes glinting impurely. Trembling in rage, Layla raked her claws over the crystalline floor. Lowering her head, she rammed in the oncoming group and ignored Red's gasp of horror. Swinging, the absol effortlessly scythed through numerous gardevoir and lopunny barring her way. They dissolved into puffs of pink and blue smoke, uttering threats and curses. More pokemon took their place and her eyes glowed. Weaving between blasts of psychic energy, Layla hissed when a psycho cut sliced her flank and she retaliated with a night slash. Another bunch of wilted roses dropped from Green's paws when he watched a collection of heads bounce in the air. He crawled back, grimacing at the way Absol curled her claws and teeth over their opposition. A final dark pulse obliterated the remainder, a black ball amassed at Layla's paws, the orb broke and a gloomy fog consumed the dungeon ghosts, whittling flesh and leaving bleached carcasses in its wake. The pulse dissipated and Red hazily observed ivory skeletons crumble into blue dust.

The two snapped out of their states and trained their eyes low to the ground when the disaster pokemon stalked towards them.

"So...I can safely assume that you two are absolutely of no help." Layla licked her paw free of multicolored smoke and Oak wrinkled his nose, the thought of doing the same induced a wave of nausea. Their surroundings quieted. "Our objective is to get to the throne room, defeat the reigning ghost pokemon and be granted a way out of here." She pushed her face close and snarled threateningly. "I would appreciate it if the two of you co-operated."

Red quivered and placed Green between himself and a Layla baring stained teeth; she slunk away and reared to her full height, towering over them. Charmander did his best to stand tall and figure a safe way to traverse the dungeon. He noted Layla was not affected the way he and Red were, and mused it had less to do with experience and more with the fact of her being a female. "So Sparks..." his best friend piped and Oak twitched angrily.

"Sparks?" Layla enquired like each affectionate nickname was personally coined to offend her, "Why in Ho-oh's name are you calling me Sparks? Do I look like your pet Sparks to you?" she rumbled, frustration cracked the floor and shattered broken pillars.

Bulbasaur stood bravely, but his vibrating legs betrayed fright. "From this moment, you are Sparks, because of your...Uh...Bright personality and, look, I am truly grateful for you saving our lives and Layla is a mouthful, so I decided to call you Sparks." The seed monster quipped and Green's tail nervously whipped side to side, Absol leered at Red with quiet fury simmering in her golden irises, but to her credit, she did not rip his bulb apart. "We need a strategy if we are to survive this place..."

They sat on the floor and Charmander outlined basic rules. After much arguing, in which Red offered to be the primary attacker much to Layla and Green's disbelief, they agreed to let Absol command the front whilst the two of them functioned as back up. The trio concocted tactics for fighting in a formation and avoiding traps; with careful planning, the colored breezes could be avoided, but the real problem lied in the enemy's power of cute charm and attraction. Layla knew, the moment those two came in close contact with the females in the dungeon, they will automatically forget themselves and amble to their deaths. Even with proper preparation, the dungeon of Lust was a hurdle many pokemon chose to put off for the last minute. Traversing it required great self-control and the reigning ghost, Eres, was notorious for its ability to confuse and bend the opponents' will like no other. He destroyed from the inside. Layla pointed to guide spots on her outdated map and she mentioned the dungeon shop; a place to purchase supplies and food. At her comment, Red suggested crossing through the spots and shops and to their surprise, she agreed.

"You two will make fewer mistakes." The absol intoned.

The tight knit group advanced, gliding over a glassy floor and avoiding the crystal beams at all costs. Inside the wooden baby doll, they heard soft, children's laughter and anguished cries. Sometime later, the child recited poetry; it's haunting voice prompting goosebumps to rise on Red's scaly skin. The bulbasaur listened to the poem keenly, his mind reflecting on the message ingrained in the poem. Controlled by desires...He contemplated and his emotional strength diminished with each step forward. Ignoring the weary heaviness in his limbs, Red trundled with a singular mind till they arrived at the first rest spot. While he relaxed on a stone stool and propped aching forelegs on top of a crystal table, Oak prowled the enclosure, sniffing for danger. Eyeing the large map pinned on the wall; he demanded for a pen and meticulously inked the dungeon outline on an aged sheet of paper. Layla observed him, muted light reflected off predatory eyes as she dropped her head on her paws and rested. Drowsy from lack of sunlight, Bulbasaur jolted awake and tumbled off his stool when Layla barked at him to move. Grumbling, he slunk behind Green, popping Oran berries into his mouth for energy. The winds abruptly shifted in the narrow tunnel they currently ambled through and with it, came a splash of psychedelic colors.

Blood drained from their faces.

Charmander instinctively clutched his tail and screeched, he breathed a tiny ember before shooting past Layla and running for his life. Absol's horn tingled; she fought off the desire to leave and instead, doubled back for Red who appeared close to giving up. Growling at the unpleasant taste of tree sap, she picked the plant pokemon and dashed. The particle littered gale howled behind them. It danced teasingly out of reach and transformed into a hurricane. The wall of wind gushed through them like tainted water and the three ceased running. Absol let Red out of her jaws; he plopped to the ground and rolled to a stop at Charmander's feet. The duo gazed at each other inquisitively and introduced themselves.

"Hi, the name's Red," Red warbled and grinned from his awkward position on the floor. "I'm a bulbasaur seeking salvation from the crimes I committed as a human. I wasn't huge on world domination but for some reason, the thought of creating a new world within an existing world really appealed to me. And I was this close to achieving it with my best friends..." He trailed off and waved spindly extremities in the air. "...My companions were geniuses, one was a researcher and the other…a pesky…woman?" Red lifted his head and spied Layla tilting her head curiously at him. "Hey there!" the plant monster waved again, "mind telling me your name? And where are we anyway?"

"Green." droned Green. Charmander folded petite forearms across an equally petite chest and nodded at Layla, apparently his name was enough for a full length introduction.

The absol padded closer and sat on her haunches. "Hello, my name is Layla and I murdered...My... my," her voice quivered, "what on earth am I saying?" she whispered furiously and her fur rose. "Green, Red, snap out of it, we need to move." The urgency in her voice anchored them back from their temporary amnesia; the duo shook their heads and peered around to see ghosts surrounding them on all sides. The gardevoir looked less pretty. Mienshao waved its limbs around like deadly ribbons. Gothita chanted ominously in the gaps whilst no nonsense lopunny marched forward, hips swaying in tune with their steps. The three trial goers flanked each other, analyzing their situation and Oak hastily concluded they had a fifteen percent chance of emerging unscathed whilst Layla snarled at him to be quiet and hastily muttered, "Create a pathway and run for your lives." To her astonishment, Red disagreed, he wanted to reduce the opponents into glorious puffs of pink and blue dust and then, run for his life. Amidst the threat converging on them like a noose, the quarreling duo turned to Green for advice. He scratched his belly, checked the blazing flame on his tail and threateningly swung it over Red's bulb. The crimson eyed beast quailed, mumbled under his breath and grudgingly agreed to stick to Layla's plan. Back to back, the trio scanned the mass of enemies as the pack of psychic and fight types grew closer. Bulbasaur focused, forcing himself not to be swayed by the foe's attraction.

A multitude of thin vines writhed around the edge of Red's bulb, he willed them to swell and cut a path through the rapidly advancing creatures. Only two of his vines obeyed commands, the rest twisted and lashed him in the face. One caught Green and a burning sensation travelled along the length of the vine and transmitted back to the host. Mienshao sliced the two tendrils mercilessly and Bulbasaur grinned toothily, spraying acid over his enemies. Majority of them brushed the acrid, mauve splashes aside and sent whirls of energy towards them. A timely ember negated the luminous balls and Layla bid her time, waiting for a faint glimmer of light before tearing it wider.

This time, the bulbasaur's growth increased exponentially. Green gawked, wide eyed as his best friend strained under the weight of vines creeping unceasingly out of his gaping bulb. The shoots snaked across the ground and climbed on the wall of enemies, felling and burying them under writhing, leafy shoots. More tendrils tore a pathway and Absol sprang. Helplessly, Red wilted to the floor and the sparse leaves decorating his back, dried. The grass monster gasped and his bulb shriveled. Tossing his concern for type advantages to the wind, Oak severed the vines from his best friend and picked him up in scaly claws. Layla urged him to run faster and he did, skidding across the crystal surface with a yowling Red squirming in smoldering paws. The seed monster smoked and dripped acid and sap on Green's head; and the mixture gnawed on his bald crown. Sliding between a gap created by the dark type, they mindlessly careered to the next floor. Keeping the pursuers at bay with an ominous black cloud, the duo scaled the stairs, claws slipping on the mirror-esque surface.

Their next stop was Keckleon's shop.

Whilst Layla heckled with the shop owner, Green paced the floor and wondered how long he could endure this torture. Red's supply of Oran berries, gummis and water finished and he peacefully dozed in one corner. Absol spent all her money on food and seeds and she tried bartering several gummies for apples and tiny squares of chocolate. Spying his broken reflection in a crystal lamp, Oak moved closer, grimacing at the multicolored blood and gashes mapping his skin. After completing an aimless circuit through the shop, he plopped next to Red and leaned against the cool wall. Eyelids growing heavy and stomach screaming in hunger, he curled next to his withered friend, resolving to catch a few winks of sleep before trudging through the rest of the dungeon.

Green's draconic snores rumbled within crystal walls.

Opposite the two males, Layla stared forlornly into her half empty bag and spared the snoring pair one of her patented glares. Thanks to those two, she blew her money on food before facing off against the dungeon's ghost. Thanks to those two, she was forced to take detours through the dungeon and suffer the pangs of hunger. Closing her eyes, she sighed and divided the meager supplies into three portions. Gummis for the lizard because he refused to eat apples, chocolate for Bulbasaur since the plant type needed the most energy and apples for her because no one else wanted them. Deep in the dungeon, the weird singing resumed and her ears picked up the angry howl of the wind. She faced Keckleon and the old creature, clutching a staff and poking at the greyish whiskers sprouting from its patterned face, nodded to her.

"Go," his voice cracked and the shop owner tossed a handful of gummis, "you have to leave before this dungeon becomes impassible." Courteously bowing, Layla stalked to the duo, waking them with a rude swipe.

The trio wordlessly moved. Red, too exhausted to crack jokes, tiredly lumbered with Green as they kept pace with Layla. He chewed on chocolate, hating the way the confectionery stuck to his teeth; it offered nothing but empty sugar and calories. "Where is the throne room situated?" Bulbasaur broke the silence surrounding them and Absol ground to a halt, flattening her ears instinctively.

"In the middle." She curtly replied and swung her head. "Near the doll's navel I suppose."

"Why the navel and not the head?"

"We entered through the baby's mouth, what good of a trial will this be if the throne room was right next to the entrance?" Green reasoned and Red pouted, unhappy and fatigued. An awkward silence settled on them and Oak prodded further, "Layla, what will happen after we complete this dungeon? Do we lose this attribute or?" Charmander tried to wrap his head around the concept, his tail flame dimmed and he crushed another blue gummi beneath a set of saw teeth.

They avoided incandescent beams and patiently waited for a bloom of glowing particles to fade before crossing a bridge suspended over a forest of spiked crystals. In the muted light, the tips glinted menacingly. Like moonlight bouncing off the teeth of a giant monster. "After we finish Lust's dungeon, you have six other trials to complete." Absol answered, she heard Red groan and Green placated him with a flurry of convoluted words. "This is my third trial and thus I have four more to complete." Frowning at the dragon's first question, Absol attempted to assemble a proper answer. "You do not lose the aspect but...The trials are there to teach you, to force you to control your human nature. As you can see, it is incredibly difficult to do so when you are surrounded by the element in question." The trio neared a flat plain of glass, a thick cluster of crystals sprouted in the middle and without looking, Layla walked around it in an arc. "The other dungeons are the same and if you were guilty of these sins in your human life, you will find it working against you in Gehenna. As the trial marker poem informed, our thoughts control us and it is up to an individual to curb their desires." The two behind her remained deadly quiet and her fur puffed from fear and apprehension. Smoothing it she pondered on her words. Fragmented and hazy memories lifted to the surface and she shook them away. "The dungeon's boss is called Eres; he is a dual psychic and fight type." Her paws clinked a rhythm on the glass floor. "Don't bother trying to defeat or outright kill any of those ghosts, they are simply too strong and they cannot be killed. If they deem you worthy, you shall pas-"

"She's pretty ain't she Green?" Red interjected her monologue and she paused, one paw raised in the air.

Charmander answered hesitantly, struggling with the words pouring from his maw. "Yes...She is pretty, but I have this nagging suspicion we are forgetting something vitally important." Jade eyes landed on a withered bulb, a single tulip broke the surface and he plucked it. "One flower is not enough," he admonished and Red nodded in agreement. Layla turned, patience sapping when the two alighted at the foot of a giant crystal cluster. A gardevoir broke out of confinement and danced mesmerizingly. Normally, the sight of a single enemy elicited a scoff from the dark type, however this time; Absol's amber eyes trailed along the psychic monster and noted the ballroom-esque dress. A mega evolved wraith, her mind sluggishly supplied and horrified, she watched the beast lean down to press a kiss on Red's bulb. Hurtling back, she roared and sunk her claws into the fairy beast's side. Bulbasaur shrieked, a strangled cry escaped his mouth when gardevoir tumbled through the air and land several meters away from him. A bone crunched.

"Sparks!" He cried, "What are you doing?"

The absol grunted whilst Green, torn in indecision, petrified with the tulip wilting in his claws. "I am making sure you two do not get killed." She spat and swerved, narrowly avoiding a blast of confusion. Gardevoir reared back, gown flaring as it twirled across the stage, reflecting Layla's attacks with multicolored barriers of light and blasting the dark type with a series of psychics. A ball of crackling fuchsia slammed dead into Layla's abdomen as she leapt. Punched out of breath, she rocketed outwards, sliding across the stage and spilling coal tinted blood. Snapping from his hypnotized state, Charmander eyed the psychic warily. A twisted smile bloomed on gardevoir's mien and she weaved closer to the innate Absol. Oak sucked in a breath, his limbs refused to move, repulsed by the thought of hurting someone he considered dear. Red screeched helplessly and trailed after the enemy.

A volley of fire erupted out of Green's jaws, they raced across the stage and his head buzzed with pride and warmth. Crawling along the inferno's path, Red shrieked some more and imparted a last, loving glance to the mega gardevoir frozen in its tracks, his will to live kicked in and he dove out of the way. Vermillion flames caught the dress-like appendage and hungrily licked upwards. Behind the screeching apparition, Layla stirred, wincing at the pain leaking from her wounds. A brief smile graced her lips on seeing the enemy burn and when it dissolved into a puff of blue smoke, her smile melted. Red hurried to her side and helped her up; he tore leaves off his back and pressed them against bloody gashes. A harsh comment died in her throat and when she insisted on moving, he shook his head and ordered her to recover. Charmander kept a lookout for more ghosts while she recuperated. The healing properties of the grass type's leaves knitted her skin and the only sign of the previous injury was in the form of black stained fur.

* * *

Mid-morning

Lust's dungeon

Throne room

It took them an entire night to traverse the dungeon and despite their shady surroundings, Red perked. The sun must be out, Oak mused and when the crystals gleamed brighter. Ahead of them, limped Layla. After their last encounter with a mega gardevoir, they adopted a strict measure to avoid other specters at all costs. Alas, Oak stepped on an inconspicuous warp tile and trailed a scream when he disappeared. Stripped of reason, Bulbasaur rushed after him despite Layla's repeated warnings not to.

Red found his best friend grinning crookedly and sitting on an elevated, glowing dais with a bevy of singing gothita. Furious at the unexpected turn of events, the bumbling Bulbasaur barreled straight towards his best friend, with the intention of rescuing the fire type and perhaps slapping some sense back into the starry eyed dragon. Halfway through his valiant careering, he collided with a gothita barring his way. Uncharacteristic fury bubbled from the seed pokemon and he angrily speared his vines through the perpetrators. Climbing on the stage, he brutishly whacked Green, continuing his assault even after the latter assured he was okay. A fire punch sent Red scuttling for cover and when he rushed past Absol, she noticed a swollen jaw.

The three of them fell into the throne room in the most undignified way possible. A chute fed directly into the boss area and without realizing it, Layla stepped over a lattice of delicate crystal, the grille failed to hold her weight and with a screech, she swore Red commented on how adorable she sounded, Absol slid down the tunnel and landed in a heap of fur, bones and muscle. When she raised her face and registered the blurry image of a pokemon smirking devilishly at her, Green plopped on top of her snout. The stupid dragon kid landed elegantly, arms folded across his chest, viridian eyes piqued and tail blazing brightly. Another jubilant shout announced the incoming presence of Red. Charmander scampered off but Bulbasaur, weighed by his bud, torpedoed out of the chute and landed squarely on Layla's ribcage and Green's tail. A scuffle ensured right there. Claws scraped fur, skin and plants. They argued, blamed each other and hurled insults till a quiet, husky chuckle forced the three of them apart. The trio turned to scrutinize the reigning ghost of the dungeon. Gallade sat on its throne, one leg crossed over the other. A pair of cinnamon irises peered interestedly at them and the curved crest on top of its head gleamed dully in the light diffused by his crystal chair.

"Ereth" Red hissed and the wraith grinned widely.

Layla's ears flicked irritably, "It's Eres," she corrected, "the embodiment of perverted love and desire. Can't you get his name right?"

"...Actually, Red has very good pronunciation, but right now his tongue is swollen, it happened when he rescued me from that tribe of Gothita." Green clarified and coolly glared at the gallade apprising them.

"Ereth." Red growled angrily and Layla quashed the urge to flay him into two pieces. She noted a mark stamped on Gallade's chest, the very same one all the other lesser specters carried. The implication made her sick. As her eyes met his, he smiled and a dozen gardevoir, lopunny and mienshao materialized in the room. The three trial goers scuttled backwards but the ghosts merely knelt at Gallade's feet and offered him food and gifts. They exploded into little lights a second later and Green grunted disagreeably. His tail flared and whipped from side to side.

Eres descended from his gemstone throne and the baubles of light, suspended in midair, moved aside for him. The ghost swept a red edged blade hand dramatically across the room and his mantle whirled backwards. Layla, who observed him critically, melted. "I always appreciate the company of a strong willed lady," he muttered lowly and trained his chocolate gaze at her. The absol licked her fur vigorously; those murky blood stains were not going to make a stunning first impression. "Congratulations for making it all the way here." The psychic type purred and stood on high ground, a distorted smirk on his face. "However, I regret to inform that you are bound to fail here, two neophytes and a lovely lady." His diabolical grin grew wider, "not a proper combination. Firstly, I shall teach you," he disappeared from his elevated stage and Green whirled around, trying to locate the specter. The dragon froze when shadows rippled under his feet, "that you do not challenge a dungeon without mastering body control." Psyshock rendered the orange lizard immobile and an aerial ace tossed him in the air. Oak curled in an effort to minimize the damage dealt to his body but nothing prepared him for the onslaught of punches dished out by Eres. A rib bone shattered, he hacked blood and slammed into a crystal wall. The ghost calmly regarded him for a moment and when the fire monster stirred, Gallade stalked forward, each stride teased a soft clunk from the glass floor. "Secondly, you foolish creatures chose my dungeon to be your first trial." The blade pokemon's silky tones reverberated in the throne room and he eyed Red and Green. "Do you know how difficult it is to control your desires?" he demanded rhetorically. Breathing deeply, Green cowered as the fight type's shadow loomed over him. "I suppose you don't," Eres' brown eyes narrowed in mock sympathy, "so let me hammer another lesson into your pitiful heads."

Oak backed away, sharp silvers of light blue crystal speared into his back, however, they were nothing compared to the fear of having his skull shattered by a handsome Gallade whose voice dripped like honey. Disgusted at his thought processes, Green scanned the room, no luck dashing past Eres, at the far corner, Layla groomed herself and Red petrified on the floor. Imprison. The dragon's mind offered. Gallade drew his blade hand back and formed a fist. Smiling, he struck.

The punch never landed.

Opening one eye, the lizard scrabbled backwards; Gallade's glowing fist stopped mere inches from Charmander's nose. A coil of vines locked Eres temporarily in place and the he turned to glare at Red, who resolutely held his ground. "Green, I can't hold him down for long so get out of there!" Oak scampered to his friend's side and the gallade effortlessly tore the vines apart, slicing them into ribbons. He laughed, a low, smoky rumble which prompted Layla to carefully arrange the conch shells dangling from her horn. Sending her a withered look, Red pleaded, "Layla." He strained, willing for a wall of thick tendrils to stop Eres' ominous approach. "I don't care how good he looks but let me just say, Eres is trying to kill you. He is not interested in your snow white coat, or the shells and gemstones on your horn...He simply wants to tear us apart. So. Snap. Out. Of IT!" Bulbasaur howled in agony as the fight type lassoed him with a vine. The seed pokemon circled through the air like a green carousel before Eres let go and Red torpedoed into the throne, smashing a carved pillar into shards of sparking crystal. Not one to give up easily, the scarlet eyed best rolled as a fist further decimated the remains. His bulb snapped open, a torrent of razor leaves sailed out and the ghost merely returned the fire with psychic. The leaves buried into Red and he spared a moment to inwardly congratulate himself on the high quality of his razor leaf. Bulbasaur danced out of the way when a barrage of shadow balls created a pockmarked constellation on the floor. Eres grunted in frustration. His blade hands glowed and Red stopped smiling. Accidentally spraying a stun spore in the enraged wraith's face, he tumbled back to Green and apprehensively watched Gallade flipping his cape backwards and swaggering towards them. "Any ideas?" he asked. "I don't think giving him roses is going to stop him." Bulbasaur nervously prattled and his best friend snapped at him to be quiet. As an experiment, Red chucked a rose at Eres and the duo collectively balked when he stopped to pick it up.

A single rose bud rested on a tender stem and an array of wicked thorns. Eres stared at the whorls, his eyes trailed lovingly down the bud and behind Red, Layla sighed melodiously. This time, Green shot her an irritated look. The rose reminded the ghost of passion and blood.

And the glorious color crimson when it seeped out of human flesh.

He crushed the rose in his palm and Bulbasaur gasp indignantly. The ghost studied the duo standing defiantly before him. Such fragile creatures. His eyes slid to the absol whose glower melted into a pair of wonderful, shifting amber irises. He switched his attention to her. If he got rid of the absol, he can simply take his time with the others. Eres decided to save the bulbasaur for last, it can offer him a bouquet of fine red roses.

A pair of jaws clamped on his throat. Sharp canines punctured white skin, eliciting mauve smoke from his body. A drum beat hammered in his chest and breath quickening, his eyes slid to the side to see Absol crushing his collar bone underneath gleaming teeth. One of her obsidian claws sunk into his shoulder and her hind legs locked on to his, preventing movement. A snarl rattled in her throat and she bit harder amidst the morbid encouragements of her two friends. Eres grinned, whispered a compliment and traced his fingers across her horn. He grasped it, ignoring the several cuts on his hand and with herculean strength, lifted her over his shoulder and flung her across the room. Her face registered surprise. How cute. Before she torpedoed into the south wall of the chamber, Red stopped her airborne momentum by wrapping a series of vines around her. Nodding to his companion, he catapulted her back towards Eres.

Gallade stepped back, disbelief marring handsome features. "Imagine he is Red." Green taunted from the ground. "A really annoying Red who's exploding stun spore and sweet scent in your face, who always wakes you up in the middle of the night to ask existential questions and who offers you flowers you'd rather burn than look at. Red just asked you on a date but instead of taking you some place nice, he is trying to kill you into bite sized pieces." Layla smirked at the analogy and heard Bulbasaur angrily sputter at his best friend. Her amber eyes glowed predatorily and when she swung past Eres, who simply simpered disturbingly, she scythed him neatly in half.

At his skinny waist.

With a night slash.

"Beautiful." Eres lovingly whispered before his form solidified again. Layla jumped back, shielding a quivering pair of fire and grass beasts. The ghost reassumed his position on the shattered throne of crystal. A troop of his branded females got to work, repairing the seat to its former, light reflecting glory. "I am impressed by your abilities Absol." He declared lowly, at the back, Red heckled a few nonsense words about teamwork and the power of friendship. "I suppose if it weren't for those useless neophytes, you and I could live happily together." Eres leaned forward, mirth roving in honeyed irises. "Nonetheless, you passed. There is a warp tile to your left. You may leave." Red's adrenaline fueled blood crawled to a stop and he sighed heavily. The first trial was over. Wearily, he sauntered to the warp tile with Green slinking after him. "Before you go, I have a few words of wisdom for you." The trial master announced, the trio halted and faced him. Crossing one leg over the other, the apparition's expression turned unnaturally solemn. "Remember, Desire is the kind of thing that eats you and leaves you starving." The chamber quieted like a graveyard and Layla dipped her head in respect. "And you are always welcome to pay a visit if you like… Layla." Eres throatily voiced and the plant beast jerked out of his contemplative mood, what an annoying moron.

Layla paused, mind preoccupied by wise words and horn involuntarily diffusing black energy. "No thanks," she muttered. "I already have two disturbing idiots to look after." Rotating, she teleported back to the entrance of the dungeon.

And felt like tearing Red apart.

Not for the first time, she saw Bulbasaur screaming, flailing and falling to his doom. As was the norm, Green followed him. Screaming and cursing and falling after Red. She exhaled and looked up.

The sun winked merrily back at her.

* * *

 **A/N:** Aww, no reviews? Anyway, much gratitude to all those who read and liked the story, hopefully it will entertain you till the end. As usual, feedback and advice is always appreciated. Mugs of cocoa to all.

 **Disclaimer:**

Title: Kahlil Gibran

Quote: Nayyirah Waheed


	5. A scattering of black flames

**A scattering of black flames**

The day Grandfather cried:

Jade irises glared at a sandwich sitting innocently on a plate. The kitchen, washed in golden sunlight, did nothing to lift Green's perpetually dark mood. Daisy left, muttering about an early morning meeting at the Viridian Trainer's school and disgruntled, the boy nibbled on his toast and mumbled. Grandpa...Probably had his hands full with developing the Pokedex. Alone, the child unhappily mused. An idea popped in his head. Pushing the plate away, he trundled to the second floor, slinking into a hidden space and pulling the staircase leading to the attic. Normally, the attic was off limits to both him and Daisy, Grandpa insisted they never enter his private study. But not today. It was grandpa's fault really, Green assured himself and tiptoed, the wooden stairs creaked unnaturally loudly under his weight. Holding his breath, he triumphantly grabbed the polished doorknob and stopped, cautiously putting an ear to the walnut door. Green heard sniffing. Frowning, he entered and saw the hunched figure of his grandfather curling away from the seat's back-rest. Samuel Oak, clutching a letter and a set of photographs between gnarled fingers, turned around and Green jolted at the older man's swollen eyes.

Samuel beckoned his grandson closer and unsure, the boy shuffled to him, inquisitive irises darting around the dust cloaked and book piled room. The professor engulfed him in a hug and Green knew something very bad happened. On the teakwood table, his verdant irises landed on an oval-tag necklace and a tear stained letter. Grandfather ruffled his hair and hugged him tighter, almost painfully; and little Oak wondered why he saw his father's pendant on Grandpa's desk. Dad never took the necklace off so what…was it doing on top of the antique desk?

His first glimpse of Red:

Green sighed, this day was the worst. His empty wallet leered at him and irritably, he shoved the leather purse in his jeans pocket before peeling out of Viridian City's bus station. It was a long, lonely walk to Pallet town but he did not care. Not when a vermillion, fire breathing lizard stalked next to him. Hands shoved in pockets and an arrogant sneer decorating his face, he strutted past narrow streets and the inhabitants parted. Oak's grandson, they whispered respectfully, a prodigy; he glimpsed a few girls giggling and fluttering their eyelashes at him. Ignoring them, he forged on and everyone wisely stepped out of his way. Except for that one kid. A scrawny individual with a crooked smile playing on chapped lips and a shock of raven hair so unruly, surely the brat never introduced a comb to his upright hedge. Wearing a faded red and white jacket, Green watched the runt pick a street pokemon fight with a disgraced war veteran. Said man, teeth stained with age and tobacco, could easily be their great grandfather. Near the junction leading to Pallet Town, the kid and a ring of gangsters dueled. Hissing crude expressions, they tossed money, rations and threats. Somehow, the brat kept winning; his poliwhirl expertly weaved through attacks. Green was impressed. A little bit. Although, the brainless urchin needed to pull out before someone bigger slogged him in the jaw. Oak stiffly marched without sparing the crimson eyed brat another glance.

When his ambition slipped through his fingers and landed in the gloved palm of his rival turned best friend:

The final bell pealed. Deafening cheers reverberated through the stadium, the din shaking the ground and walls. Red did not smirk or gloat in victory. And Green did not understand how he, with a type advantage, lost to a glorified street pokemon fighter out of all people. He simply...Did not understand. Jaded, he moved forward to shake Red's hand, slightly disgusted with himself. A hollow hole opened in his stomach, his head felt lighter and the sting of regret, consumed him. Bit by bit, he understood why Red won. The champion treated his pokemon companions equally, like they were beloved, irreplaceable friends. Green quietly laughed and looked back to his pompous charizard who cowered in shame. He exhaled and reached out to pat his pokemon, uncaring if they lost. All he cared about was that he learnt a lesson Grandpa tried to hammer in his head all those years ago.

Meeting Blue:

The pesky woman's startlingly aquamarine eyes travelled up and down and Green looked at Red, demanding an explanation as to why the woman apprised him like a fashionable jacket. Years later, the three of them lolled in Red's dusty living room and discussed future plans. As usual, they lounged on a worn, leather couch and Blue sidled up to him, irritating him for no particular reason whilst Oak watched, sadly, as his best friend's eyes darkened ruthlessly. The champion's decision to create the Dex Criminals was perhaps the most dastardly goal Green ever heard of and partook in. And it did not help when Blue constantly taunted him for being on the straight and narrow. Oak cloned mewtwo within a ditto, much to their delight. He coaxed Platina into their organization and complained to Red when the stupid female stole her from right under his nose. Nonetheless, he was grateful for the nights she kept him company, during the times when he wondered if he and Red would ever be best friends again. And in the instances when he longed for a less complicated relationship. One that did not involve secrets, punches to the face and snide whisperings of 'coward'.

The day he could not confess to Yellow:

It had nothing to do with Gold. The raven haired male was actually at Mauville's game center, no doubt getting wasted on spinning slots. Red, emaciated, snored in one corner of their Fortree hut as they sought refuge from the deluge outside. Awake, Green shuffled aimlessly in the tiny space, floorboards groaning under his weight and he briefly checked his friend's temperature by pressing a palm to Red's forehead. The fighter muttered deliriously, thanked Green for feeding him poisonous slop and turned to bury his face under the blanket. Oak's pokegear buzzed and he extracted it from his pocket, wincing at the muggy heat clinging to his skin.

 _If we get married Green...Do you think our children will have eyes like yours? I...want them to have your eyes, they are so pretty._

Green flushed. Eyes fixated on the little screen, he barely registered a painful bump on his shin and a leaf whacking him in his face. A drop of cold water seeped through the cracks of the straw roof and landed on his head. He failed to feel that too as a thousand scenarios galloped through his mind. He spent the entire morning and afternoon sending Yellow text messages and reading her replies. At times, her responses threw him off. She talked about the future set in stone and he imagined the little scenes she painted with her words. They stayed awake during the nights, frantically typing to each other. Each conversation spiraled out of control, leaving him breathless, sleepless and starry eyed. Gold sometimes joked when Green walked, head bent over his pokegear and absent mindedly slamming himself into pieces of furniture or the wooden walls.

"...Did you ever tell her anything?" Red gravely enquired. Chin propped in one hand, he slurped soup, gagged exaggeratedly and promptly pushed the bowl away. "You walk around with a red face these days and I thought you had a fever till Gold showed me your pokegear." Green froze and the plastic spoon clattered out of his hands. "Hehehehe, don't worry, I didn't read any of your conversatio-."

"Don't lie." Oak cut in, he bit his lips, mortified and Red laughed harder.

"I didn't read them." The ex-champion pouted and insisted, "Jeez, at least have faith in me. I respect your privacy you know. Still...That one conversation I accidentally read was kinda cute." Green flushed some more. "So, did you tell her?" Red interrogated and leaned forward, a gleam in his eyes.

No.

Why was it so difficult to tell Yellow that he loved her? Green penned a simple message. Three words and saved it as a draft. Between her cute ramblings of Chuchu's shenanigans and her philosophical musings on life and constant worry over everyone's health, he never found the courage to tell her anything.

Green's execution:

He wanted to hate Red. But he could not. Stupid, brainless blood knight. Standing on the stage, he swallowed his fears and tears. When he entered the room and beheld a multitude of parents and guardians milling about, equal parts regret and relief bloomed in his chest on missing the figure of his grandfather. Unfortunately for him, Grandpa stumbled in at the last minute, begging and pressing his aged forehead to the ground and pleading with the Ransei nobles to spare his grandson. Green's chest heaved, his stomach tied into unpleasant knots, his grandfather did not deserve him. Samuel Oak did not deserve an ungrateful, snotty brat floundering in pride. _Please don't beg grandfather_ , his mind and mouth screeched in tandem and he strained, trying to reach the wispy haired old man. He imagined himself as a kid, dour faced and curling into the lap of his grandfather, demanding to be told pokemon evolution theories. To him, Grandpa and Daisy shone like the sun. Green shook his head and accepted his punishment wholly. Closing his eyes, he quashed the image of despair swirling in Red and Blue's irises and imagined his sister's laugh as the bisharp cut into his flesh. His breath hitched when he remembered Yellow and her beautiful smile. And contentment settled within him on picturing the gentle, content grin on his grandpa's withered face.

* * *

Mid-morning

Treasure Town

Residential Area

The hearth fire crackled happily and Charmander snored, breathing heady flames and burying his claws in a red veined log; he turned over, spreading grey ash on his back and settled into a comfortable curl. Moments later, he jostled again; some animalistic sense urged him, called him to open his eyes. Grunting, Green opened them; his slit pupil widened and brought the rest of the room into focus. He glared.

"Layla." The absol, laying a few meters opposite the fire place, stirred and bored her amber eyes onto his. "What in Giratina's name are you doing in my room?" he asked. Involuntarily, his tail lifted, swaying threateningly from side to side. Fire wrapped him in a warm cocoon of flames whilst Layla shifted, snarled and ignored him to resume her snoozing. Miffed, Green's hackles rose, even if he was grateful for the disaster pokemon for bailing them out of Lust's dungeon, by no means is she going to push him around. Absol raised her head once more and glowered, one look at the ring of bone fragments around her neck quelled the fight in him. He did not want his femur to end up as a proud collection around her neck. "...What are you doing here anyway? My room is hot and you have a nice veranda to drape yourself out of." Oak complained, unhappy with the universe. Red woke him in the middle of the night and dragged him to the veranda to soak in moonlight and the next morning, Charmander opens his eyes to a female disaster pokemon leering at him from the opposite side of the room. Eres' words of wisdom rung akin to odd bells inside his head and at times, it too prevented sleep.

Absol flicked her horn dismissively. "Hard to sleep in the morning when the useless tree sap is shooting rainbows," she snorted and pawed the mosaic floor. "Red is inanely cheerful, he gives me headaches, shall I introduce a nightmare to him so he can pipe down?"

Green growled, the corners of his lips lifting to show ever elongating fangs.

 _Touch Red and you di-_

"GOOOOD MOOOOORNING!" A preppy voice hollered from the third floor balcony. "It is a wonderful day today! The sun is shining bright and my bulb is all tingly and tight~" Red sang at the top of his lungs, his horrible, off-tune voice pierced through eardrums.

"You can kill him; just make sure to toss his bulb in the sea so he does not miraculously regenerate himself," Green drawled. "And keep a bone fragment for me; he is my best friend after all." Clutching a log, he wound around it and returned to sleep. Her sleep shattered beyond the point of salvation, Layla hopped downstairs and prowled the entrance of the condominium. Long shadows danced around her and she glanced at the towering apartment buildings, blocking the early morning sun. Sounds from the nearby market square drifted on a breeze. Above her, Red lazily shuffled, his movements sharpening as sunlight struck him. Settling in a shady corner, she waved her tail in greeting to the passersby and tucked her head into her paws. Chatter filled the air; birdsong mingling with predatory snarls and earth trembling roars from the occasional dragon. Cottony clouds formed overhead, and Layla dozed with the town's hubbub whispering in her ears.

She woke again, hissing painfully when the sun mercilessly struck her retinas. Rubbing her face clean, she carefully arranged the gemstone ornaments around her horn and neck. Absol briefly wondered why she wore them; she was not here to impress anyone after all. A lilligant swayed in the narrow street and Layla spied the grass type dripping with so many polished gems, it hurt to lay eyes on it. Deciding her decorations were rather moderate and awe inspiring, she stalked to the kitchen, intending to bathe right after breakfast. Inside the tiled enclosure, she stopped and her companions froze. Stuck in various degrees of terror. Green's overgrown claws poked through several slices of bread as he vainly tried to toast them over an open fire whilst the bulbasaur neatly took down all the preserves lining the shelves and arranged them on the low stone table. Red offered her a toothy grin and her eyes narrowed when Charmander tossed several charcoaled slices on a plate. Grumbling, he reached for the second loaf and Layla's fur rose, wisely, the red eyed beast abandoned his table decorating and hid behind Green. Puffing his chest, the lizard graced her with a withering look. One that, she decided, could suck all the available water from a plant. "We... wanted to thank you so I thought making you breakfast was gonna cheer you up. As usual, I'm wrong." Red bravely squeaked from his safe place and Green, instead of cutting the bread in equal portions, simply tore them into ugly hunks and held them over the fire. "Hey Green, not all of us wants to eat coal like you, so leave the bread," Red piped and grabbed the semi toasted slices, placing them in a basket.

Thereafter, the three of them sat around the table. "Red," Layla sniffed a blackened slice whilst the duo hogged the edible loaf, "I'd appreciate it if you did not sing. Hyper-voice is not good for the hearing as it damages the middle ear." The grass type stopped chewing on seeds and eyed her inquisitively. "What I'm trying to say is..." she broke off when the plant monster eagerly stared at her. "Your singing..."

"Sucks." Oak finished ruthlessly and burped; he grabbed a steaming mug of milk and drowned it in one gulp. "And stop waking us up so early in the morning. If you want to absorb sunlight, you can do it without hollering like a deranged moron desperately in need of a vocal cord transplant. Hell, go to the damn park and get your sunlight there." The lizard grouched, Red, immune to the insults, splayed on the wooden chair and sluggishly munched an entire bowl of fragrant seeds and leaves. One ear cocked, Layla half listened whilst lapping juice and pouring a cup of crushed berries. The bulbasaur's bud opened and closed. Each time it opened, Charmander quieted for a moment before re-launching his assault when he made sure Red won't shower him with a stun spore. "By the way," Green paused his ranting and looked at Absol, "what dungeon are we conquering next? I want to be prepared since the last time all we did was get into your way. I hate to admit, by Eres affected me as well," he confessed. The trio collectively shuddered on remembering the flamboyant ghost. However, the strength it possessed was nothing to scoff at. "Treasure Town does not have a library so I'm guessing we have to do research at the guild." Absol's eyes fell on his claws when he attempted to lick them and like a child caught doing something naughty, Oak stowed them behind his back whilst Red snickered.

For the umpteenth time, Layla wondered why she did not kick them out of her apartment. The kitchen, normally immaculate, bore scratch marks on the floor. Yesterday, she scrubbed the bathroom because Red neglected to wipe the plant scum rimming the tub.

Absol licked her lips. "I work, so I can't frolic around with you," she responded frostily and Bulbasaur wilted. "I think conquering Pride will be best, it is another difficult dungeon and it cannot be reached by normal means." Shaking his head, Green absentmindedly resumed picking his saw teeth. "As for your claws...they are disgusting." Layla softly spat at Charmander and he sheepishly curled his paws. "You have to sharpen and clean your claws every single day, no excuses. Use the slate Wiggly gave you and hook your claws into the rough edge, drag them down and I don't care if it's a painful experience, I won't let you in this kitchen if you have an entire ecosystem hiding underneath your steel tips!" Green flinched at the venom in her words. "Your claws must be licked clean every time you strike your opponent." She continued and the males' faces twisted to disgust. "And if you fall sick Green," Layla's voice dropped dangerously, "I'll toss you out." She pressed her face against the terrified dragon and he caught a whiff of the berry juice she drank moments ago. "Do I make myself clear dragon kid?" Green vigorously nodded, making a mental note not to annoy her ever again. "Now, get to the guild, I'm leaving for patrols so I guess I won't be back before nightfall. The guild has an archive; ask the receptionist to help you."

The duo ambled across familiar streets and stopped to admire the stained glass on the church; Red's eyes fixated on the solemn form of Giratina. Its garnet eyes peered into his soul and discomfort prickled his bulb. Underneath the creation trio, the legendary birds leered at him along with Mew, Ho-oh and Lugia. Bulbasaur wondered if he should go inside the domed domicile and stare at the ceiling fresco. The majestic, white plumed appearance of Reshiram calmed him. Sighing heavily, he tore his gaze away from the vibrant colors and slunk after Green, who stewed in a crisis involving his claws. They turned at the end of the street, weaving between single, spacious houses. These belonged to the dragons and were honed out of glass, metal and slabs of rock. A hydreigon greeted as it flapped towards its house. Several leafy bags and sacks hung from its necks and the duo observed a cluster of other dragons emerging from their homes. The brutal pokemon hovered towards the door and abruptly petrified.

"Help me!" It suddenly screeched and its heads whipped violently. The other dragons collectively moved back. "Please, Lord Giratina no! NO!" Despite its wild flailing, none of the other residents offered help. Most of them coldly disregarded the writhing dragon and continued with their lives. At the crossroads, Green and Red morbidly watched, the former holding the latter back from jumping in and getting killed by a dark dragon frothing at the mouth. To their horror, the creature spontaneously combusted, desperately rolling on the dusty ground to smother the flames. Black fire ate its body, gouging large sections of skin, flesh and tangling with its flimsy appendages. Hydreigon rose in the air, only to plummet on the ground and the residents of Treasure Town calmly walked. Unfeeling and uncaring. Gnawing on its talons, the dragon spilled mauve blood in the streets and shrieked, rending the air with pleas for mercy and forgiveness. Finally, the dark beast collapsed into a steaming, croaking heap and burst apart altogether. Foul stench cloaked the air and remnants of leather skin and black feathers blew against the sidewalks. Red screwed his eyes shut and exhaled.

 _What...did I see?_

Silently, the two remained on the lane, basking in the sun's cruel rays as it climbed higher in the sky. Lilac splats of blood seeped into crumbling stone and a new layer of faded color painted the ancient rocks. Banners wafted in the wind, young pokemon chased each other and gaiety rung in the distorted town. On the eastern horizon, Red spied shimmering heat and columns of fire. More closely, the dojo broke the skyline and before he could stalk towards it, Green dragged him to the main road leading to the guild. They marched past the village square with its mossy stone columns and entered the stone tiled vestibule. A friendly welcome wormed into their ears courtesy of Manectric, whose tribal tattooed tail wagged cheerfully. Bulbasaur articulated a restrained greeting of his own and wearily climbed to the fifth floor. His mind, a whirlwind of thoughts and questions, resolutely pulled back to the scene in the streets. The desperate gasping of the dragon and its terror stricken eyes, rolling in hollow sockets. He recalled black flames and the excruciating pain the dragon suffered before exploding into nothing.

In the archives they found Wigglytuff, his single eye scanning a tome lying open on a polished desk. A brass lamp hung over him but no light flickered inside it. The guild master sunnily waved at them and his eager expression deflated on spotting their sour expressions. "What happened? Did the two of you pick a fight with Layla again?" He chuckled good naturedly and bounced closer. Red's eyes veered to the emblem hanging around Wiggly's neck. By now, Bulbasaur knew the disc bore the etched symbol of Giratina's head.

"We..." Green scratched his belly. "Near the street leading to the dojo, we witnessed a pokemon, a hydreigon spontaneously combusting. He burnt in black fire and we...None of us could do anything."

Understanding dawned on the guild master's face and he gestured them to the couches dotting the library. A group of pokemon soared through the entrance and their loud voices dimmed when they branched off and twittered amongst themselves. Whisperings of dungeons and trials, sins and weaknesses floated to Red's ears and he forcibly steered his mind away from depressing thoughts. Bulb tingling, he wondered if all his neutral sap morphed into acid and bitterly considered how useful this acid would be if he hurtled to a dungeon at this very moment. But no, careful preparation and planning must be done before attempting any of those death traps. "Don't worry about what you see on the street." Wiggly winked at them.

"You...Expect us to ignore a pokemon...A person...A live creature burning to death right in front of our eyes?" Red hissed, his back gurgled and spewed noxious fumes. "Oh...I forgot, the first day I waltzed in here, you practically killed me." He glowered when Wiggly faced him. The guild master's pearly eye glued on Bulbasaur. "I get it, I am a despicable thing but...Seeing that is just," he broke off, unable to continue.

Why did it bother him so much? A niggling piece of memory danced at the edges of his consciousness.

Loosing someone close to him...

He saw someone dear.

Someone precious died in front of him...

?

"Red, you are not here to play hero and you have far more pressing concerns than reaching out to a damned criminal who is in the same position as you are. Green, move away from him, his acid is eating the couches," Wiggly commanded. Startled from his stupor, Red quailed and Charmander scooted to the floor, observing the bulbasaur with a fathomless stare. "For your information, and to ease that self-sacrificing mindset of yours, the reason hydreigon combusted is because he neglected a fundamental rule in Gehenna." The guild master marched back and forth, stubby feet brushing over the carpet. "You must never, ever give up on conquering the dungeons, no matter how difficult it is. If you decide to stop completing the dungeons…" Wiggly stopped and a curious bunch of un-evolved pokemon crowded behind him. "BOOM!" he boomed and laughed heartily when his audience jumped collectively. Red growled when more acid splashed on the seats. "You combust. Giratina, Lord of the Underworld, is always watching you; he knows your thoughts, your movements and he can tell if you are slacking in his punishments. It is a common occurrence for pokemon to randomly get caught in black flames and when you see them, stay away. We are here to atone for _our_ sins. So I say you snuff that little hero complex of yours and worry about yourself. Layla reported that you two were horrible in Lust's dungeon and to prevent a repeat, I signed you for extra training." At this, the duo perked and listened intently. "Before we head to the Dojo," Wiggly drawled, "study up first. I need to check in with my team."

When the balloon pokemon twirled around and slotted heavy books back to their respective shelves, Oak studied the mass of burnt fur on Wigglytuff's back. The sigil emanated a ghostly power. "You have a team?" Charmander queried dubiously. "I say they give you a machete and you can be a one man army." Wiggly grinned at the compliment and Green flinched, he did not want to see the guild master's perfect, alabaster jaws.

Waddling to the exit, a single book clutched in his pudgy hands, Wiggly answered, "Of course I have a team; you will find a thriving network in Gehenna. Once you evolve, I'll tell you more about it, stronger pokemon have more responsibilities like rescuing trapped personnel in dungeons...Enough about that, I'll be back in half an hour and I expect the two of you to read. Blindly entering a dungeon is tantamount to suicide." From the frayed couches, Red yowled, saying that is exactly what Wiggly did with them, thrusting them unprepared in Lust's dungeon. The wigglytuff merely simpered. "Hoh, I mentioned it before didn't I? Normally I'd rip both of you into shreds," Green's tail ignited and swiped from side to side, "since I needed Red for a ritual...Annoy me more and I'll introduce the basement to both of you once again." He slammed the door, leaving the two to contemplate their actions.

Alone in the vast chamber, Red peeled off the sodden couch and winced at the raw burn on his bulb. Striding to him, Charmander pulled a few leaves from his friend's back and handed them over to Bulbasaur who meticulously wiped himself free of acid. "Let's not agitate him too much, even if we learned some basic moves or two, I have full confidence he'll crush us effortlessly." Oak stated and his companion nodded solemnly. "Layla mentioned the dungeon of Pride; let's see what we can find."

Charmander lost himself in the sprawling history of Gehenna.

The musty odor of antediluvian books tickled his nose and he sat in a mound of them. Each yellowed page poured forth the history of this world. Once upon a time, Gehenna was known as the Reverse Realm and Giratina reigned over anti matter. Back in prehistoric days, when humankind and pokemon were bitter enemies, the latter ruled the world. Their mega evolved forms (less commonly known as primordial evolutions) allowed them to live in extremely harsh environments. Pokemon carved mountains to make homes and when they migrated, humans scampered in their dwellings and lived there before the monsters returned. During this period, Gehenna was a simple, flat and featureless plain and Giratina's throne rested above the clouds. Anyone condemned to the punishment fields usually ended there as monster with a human conscious; they were tied to an ivory stake and left in burning sun and freezing cold. Most expired due to starvation whilst Giratina paid particular attention to the hardened felons. The renegade pokemon exhausted its supply of sadism by experimenting on these unfortunate humans; and his favorite method of killing was watching them writhe and burn whilst black fire licked their bodies. Inhaling sharply, Green shifted and carefully turned the page, he did not want to rip the delicate parchment. As human population grew, the size of the plain expanded to include more deaths and the damned were categorized based on the lives they led. Some of them escaped with light punishment; Darkrai subjected others to mild torture and Giratina arrested those who personally offended him.

"Hey Green." Red interjected and irritated, Charmander looked up. "Back in ancient times, people tamed a few, easy to domesticate pokemon and basically the ancients had to hunt, scavenge and fight dragons and other large monsters to survive." Charmander nodded hesitantly. "Imagine we were living in prehistoric times!" Bulbasaur's eyes sparkled, "I'd totally be a dual sword wielding dragon slayer." Green imagined Red with two swords, his imagination continued till he found himself mauled by his companion's weapons because _obviously_ his best friend was a master swordsman. "Well, what do you think? Aren't I awesome?"

 _Heck no_. Oak's mind supplied.

"Very." He deadpanned instead, "Now let me get back to my reading."

Humankind made technological leaps, they fashioned crude, then sophisticated traps to ensnare large monsters. They fought beasts and claimed their empty homes. Creatures with the ability to produce or dig out precious metals from the earth, were enslaved. Eventually, humans populated rapidly and Giratina adjusted Gehenna. Tired of their atrocious crimes and the fact that humanity never learned its lessons no matter how many times the divinities heaped disasters on them, the renegade lord expanded his universe and created a set of crude buildings. Outhouses. Here, he watched them murder, butcher and slaughter each other. The blocks reeked of blood and other, less than pleasant fluids. Weak pokemon caved under their stronger counterparts and due to the wars raging in the living world, souls flew through, left right and center. Voice wailed for mercy or seethed with vengeance and Giratina, disgusted by the slaughter, often wondered if Arceus faced the same problem in Tzion...Perhaps not. Tzion was a repose for the well intoned and good.

Red concentrated on the page in front of him; the archaic books sported languages he failed to understand. "Green?" he called and the lizard snorted unappreciatively. "How does evolution in this world work? Wiggly keeps on yapping about becoming strong and evolving...But how? We don't have trainers...That aside, normally if we gain enough experience I guess we can trigger evolution but what about those who evolve through trading or companionship?"

Green looked up, irises sparking in anger. "Red...You have two, huge eyes screwed into your head." The lizard barked, "Make good use of them."

The seamless plain of Gehenna eventually transformed into Tophet's Block. Giratina designed a punishment and trial system, based on the sins man was most susceptible too. He filled them with ghosts, reincarnations of the most heinous people gracing the Poke-verse. Malformed into specters and granted the curse of immortality, they were forever damned to fight an onslaught of trial goers and die several times a day. No blood ran in their veins, movement was a calculated, painful mess and the sins they defined, haunted them. Despite all of this, the ghosts eventually became the basis of superstitions and the dead devoted entire mythos to them, both glorifying and vilifying their existence. If one died, by some means or the other, the next one is promptly chosen, branded and damned. Darkrai chose the new individuals based on their human lives and their capacity for surviving Gehenna's trials. Pausing, Green stared at the ceiling, dazed by the onslaught of information. Without wasting a breath, he grabbed another book and skimmed a dozen pages, searching for proof and validating what he read in the ancient tomes. A Pecha berry landed square on a page, he snatched it up, glared at it and focused his glare on a suspiciously innocent Bulbasaur. Wordlessly, Oak jerked his head at the berry.

"I was trying to snare your attention," Red clarified, a smirk on saurian lips, "guess I succeeded." Green exhaled angrily and popped the berry in his mouth. "You know, Layla impresses me, she is a first stage pokemon and yet she plows through the trials like it's no big deal. How many did she complete now again? Three? Four? So what's her secret?" The plant beast contemplated. "How is she this strong when her capacity should be limited?"

For a moment, Green inwardly mused at his friend's intelligence, Red sure nitpicked on valid points. Intrigued, the fire beast chewed on his thoughts and presented his theories. "For one, absol are extremely powerful creatures, they are often found at the site of disasters and research shows they are capable enough to deal with the disasters themselves. Also...We are human turned pokemon, general rules applying to the pokemon of our world, do not apply to us," Charmander said and his eyes slid back to the books. "Red, the next time you have questions, look them up. I'm busy and I don't have time to entertain you."

In Gehenna, the dead surfaced on the Beach of Evocation. The waters of the sea, although physically harmless, have the capacity to wipe memories. The extracted memoirs of the criminal's past lives, sink underneath the waves. It is forbidden to dive in the sea, however, pokemon are known to do it. Items salvaged from the object laden waters are sold as artifacts on the black market. Halting, Oak watched Red rifling disinterestedly through pages. The black market… if he remembered properly, it was that shady area of town, the one with all the dark type pokemon. He checked the texts again; apparently, the sea contained accounts of past lives. A thought occurred to him, perhaps...He could persuade a powerful water pokemon to dive and find an oval pendant for him. Green scowled, of course not, for one, he had no money.

Exhaling, he resumed reading, cramming in a few pages before Red interrupted him again.

Charmander glared, fire raging in his eyes. "What is it?" he gurgled.

"Wigglytuff is taking too long." A strange gleam passed Bulbasaur's eyes. "Should I go check on him? Maybe I'll run into Gothitelle." Red prattled and sheepishly pawed the ground. "Remember her? She has such a nice voice..."

"Did you even read anything?"

Offended, Red snapped a book shut and placed it back on the shelves. "Course I did, unlike you, I studied on the relevant stuff." Green rolled his eyes at the statement. "Pride is a dungeon of water and air." The scarlet eyed beast smirked haughtily. "Heh, guess I'll be rolling through this one without much problems. You on the other hand need to shape up. Water beats fire," Bulbasaur chortled.

"Shut up!" Pale and shivering at the mention of water, Green grumpily scanned another chapter. The fire on his tail flickered weakly.

* * *

Late Evening

Treasure Town

Dojo

Dojo Master Mienshao was an utter monster.

Unfortunately, she appeared as a harmless, well intentioned beast.

When Wigglytuff, the guild master whom she respected, deposited a weedy bulbasaur and a pompous fire lizard on the first floor of her prized establishment, she had no hopes for the bulbasaur and plenty for the charmander. To her surprise, they crushed her expectations so thoroughly; she considered them unfit for her Dojo.

"You two are utterly useless," Mei quietly scorned when Charmander peeled off the floor and tiredly wiped sweat from his body. "I find it difficult to believe the two of you managed to conquer Lust's dungeon in your current state." Her ears, pierced with silver studs, twitched dismissively. Fuming, Green cast a sidelong glance at Red, who landed on his bulb in one corner of the spotless floor, too scared to squeak for help. Mienshao raised her arms and ebony tattoos inked the sleeves of fur. "Go back home for today and I shall consider training you from the ground up tomorrow." Turning around, she swiped her tail at the entrance and Oak curled his paws into fists. He crouched to the ground, waited for a good opportunity and struck. Faltering when Mienshao disappeared from in front of him, he whipped around and she smashed her dainty fist into his face. "Too slow," she chimed, her voice like delicate glass; jumping in the air, Mei double kicked him. Green, briefly enjoying the sensation of flight, flailed when the ground rushed to him. Before landing in a sickening crunch, her clawed foot punched into the abdomen, sinking and striking soft internal organs. Charmander, an orange blur cutting the training area horizontally, spat a mixture of fire and blood. The wall cracked. Mienshao stalked towards Red, picked him up by a stubby foreleg and expertly chucked him like a cannonball straight into Green.

The two detangled themselves and crumpled on to the straw carpet. Bodies heaving

Standing in front of the gasping duo, the trainer folded her arms, displeasure clearly marked on a feline face. Green refused to look as she groomed and he seethed at the unfairness of the situation. Red who equally needed to prove his worth, sat on the floor and nodded to her. She smiled humorlessly and beckoned him. Drained, Green placidly observed his best friend bouncing around the room akin to a green ball.

Crunch.

Red swore his bulb cracked, crimson irises trailed the lithe body of Mei's towering form, searching for a weak spot. Likewise, Mienshao's dolled up eyes sized him and ignoring her disdainful stare, he combed her, noticing a ribbon on her tail and powder pink nails. Nail paint or blood? Bulbasaur wondered. Her whiskers quivered and unrelenting, Red got up again. A swirl of sympathy danced in her lavender irises before determination seized them. The fight type elegantly back flipped when Red spat a torrent of razor leaves. She twirled out of the way when a multitude of vines snaked across the ground at high speed. Changing tactics; Bulbasaur wove a sensory net of vines and cast them over the entire floor. A bit impressed by his strategy, she grounded his hopes by flashing in and out of the tiny squares of free space and watching the self-satisfied grin of her new student's mouth curl into a frown. Red inhaled and diffused sweet scent. The martial arts pokemon breathed deeply, allowing the nostalgic aroma to engulf her. Mechanically, the inert Charmander wobbled to his friend and she stifled a laugh when he buried his nose in Red's bulb. Sputtering, the seed beast refocused his attention on Mienshao.

Sweet scent did not sway her in the slightest.

Instead of groggily ambling towards him, the aroma livened her.

Red gulped nervously.

The creatures in Gehenna scared him senseless.

Irritably, he shoved his best friend off his back. "Green, I'm trying to land a hit on that martial artist lady over there so stop burying your snout in my bulb! It's disgusting and your breath is burning me." Oak muttered deliriously and Red snapped a vine whip at him. To the plant type's astonishment, Oak crumpled uselessly to the floor, whimpering and holding his tail. Free from his bothering, Bulbasaur faced forward, Mienshao acknowledged him with a slight bow before launching off the ground and somersaulting in the air, her leg descended in a high jump kick and in the periphery of her vision, a ball of fire raced towards her. Twisting in midair, her hands moved in a complex pattern and she fired an aura sphere, thus dissipating the fireball. Smashing her palm on Red's forehead, she leapt back.

Two dour faced creatures loured at her.

"I must say, that was an interesting strategy," she praised and Red proudly puffed his chest.

Green slithered to the floor. "He didn't plan that, I simply regained consciousness in time to spew a fireball."

"Green! You didn't have to tell her," the plant type protested, he peeked at the Dojo master's unimpressed visage. "See? Now she thinks we are idiots."

Folding her arms and settling on the floor, she gazed at them and sighed. Red monologued whilst Green ignored him in favor of sharpening his claws on the wooden floor. "Make no mistake." The duo's tired eyes swiveled to her. "My opinion of you has not changed. You are both pathetic. Your body handling is the worst I have ever seen and more often than not, Red, you hurt yourself when you execute a move. Such slovenliness will not be tolerated in my Dojo. Here, discipline is everything." The monsters listened attentively. "This is not a playpen and I appreciate honesty and shrewdness. You fight for your life only. If your companion gets in the way, shove him aside. Once you acquire more strength of both body and mind, then you can think of others." Unfurling from the floor, Mei announced and assumed another stance. "I am sure Wigglytuff mentioned that I can be quite ruthless." One of them nodded vigorously whilst the other shook his head. Mienshao smirked. "It does not matter what people say about me, but rest assured, by the time this session is done, you will-"

"Die?" Bulbasaur cut in jokingly.

The grin on the martial artist face widened, and she appeared elegant and sadistic.

"You will not die…" she struck, in a span of a few seconds, she tossed Red in the air, punched him eight times and landed a roundhouse kick before his downward momentum began. Landing on the straw mat portion of the room, she dusted her hands. "You will not die," she repeated, "however; you will regret setting a foot in this place."

In the corner, bulb smashed and leaking, Red groaned and cried louder when the steaming form of Charmander landed on of him.

* * *

 **A/N:** And the latest chapter is up. Much thanks to all those who read and reviewed. As usual, advice and feedback are greatly appreciated. And I mean greatly.

At Setriel: Aahahaha, no, please don't feel bad, but it's really uplifiting to see someone bothering to review. Sometimes, I pick up ideas from the reviews themselves and it helps against writers block. Thanks for the constant support, virtual mug of cocoa to you. (Do you even like cocoa?)


	6. Odd jobs and tasty gummis

**Odd jobs and tasty gummis**

Mid-afternoon

Treasure Town

Village Center

Surrounded by cracked stone columns, Red paced the village center, tracing tangled lines and etched symbols. Like the pillars encasing the commons, grass broke through the surface of the slab and a carpet of moss obscured the twisting runes. Overhead, the sun dipped between sheets of clouds as they raced across the sky. This morning, Green and Red tailed Layla after breakfast as she zigzagged across town. Absol stopped at the Black market for a while, stared at the information board, weaved through crowded streets and eventually stopped in the center of the village.

"Don't you two have better things to do than follow me around?" she barked and settled on her haunches. Red scuttled off to explore whilst Green plopped next to her, a garland of withering flowers around his neck. The dragon irritably tore his necklace when Bulbasaur was not looking and muttered darkly to himself. "I'm currently working and I'd appreciate it if you didn't slow me down." Layla huffed.

Bored of staring at the barely recognizable statues lining the center, Red bounded back to them. "I figured if we follow you around, Green and I might be able to get a feel of what work we could to do." He stated, circled his spot a few times and irritably waved off a dozen combee veering closer to his leaking bulb. "Come to think of it, we still don't know what you do. The black market guys are afraid of you so I'm guessing you might be part of some law enforcement?" Bulbasaur stared at the way Layla carried herself, full of simmering authority. "Mind telling me what you do? And where do we get work? It's boring to stay at home the entire day," Red complained and glanced at his friend and Oak, interest sparked by the statues, scurried away to study the stone idols; he cleared them of moss and peered into their stone faces intently. Layla, who did not see fit to answer Red's questions, simply gazed at the horizon. Amber irises reflected snowcapped mountains and ponderous clouds gathering in the north. Somewhere out there, high in the sky, lay the dungeon of Pride.

Absentmindedly nibbling on a leaf, Red observed Charmander trying to decipher the mysteries of the village center, sure, it boasted a lot of effigies and convoluted patterns but they offered no straightforward answers. Unlike him, Green ran back and forth, using a tree branch to rub between the ancient, dirt caked grooves. In the distance, wind howled and Bulbasaur inhaled the hearty smell of damp earth. It might rain, he mused and looked up, eyes heavy as the pregnant clouds drifting overhead.

A smattering of growls roused Red from his partial sleep; yawning, he perked at a familiar face. Umbreon. The dark creature who helped them out of the forest. A gathering of pawniard, vullaby, weavile, sableye and a pupitar swirled around the feline and each of them sported a shiny badge pinned on their coats. Umbreon, body rings glowing faint blue in broad daylight, barked a set of orders, his silver cuffed paw pointed to various directions and fascinated, Red watched the patrol group receive orders to comb different parts of the village. Ironically, most of the pokemon towered over their diminutive leader but showed appropriate respect. Even Absol, who generally scoffed at most things, gave him undivided attention. The band of mismatched dark types scattered with the exception of Layla and Pupitar, the duo stalked behind the umbreon and made for the guild. Unsure whether to tail after such a solemn bunch, Bulbasaur scrambled up and spoke, "Hey...What should we do for the time being? We can't head to the Dojo since Master Mienshao says she'll only see us after we better our body handling and heal our wounds, so what-"

"Fend for yourself." Layla tossed over her shoulder and Umbreon turned to fix glinting eyes at them.

"Oh...So those two are still alive." He flicked his ears dismissively and jerked his chin at the wooden information board rooted at the edge of the village center. "If you want to be productive, check that board, you will find offers for work." The moonlight pokemon declared and moved away. "Make sure you don't land yourself in trouble, I'll hunt you down and make you pay," Umbreon lowly threatened. Bulbasaur frowned; the umbreon sure could do with a healthy dosage of happiness. Green sniggered quietly and Red angrily stalked to the information board. Nearing it, a violent gust of wind lifted a parchment and smacked it in his face. Spitting a curse, he peeled the frayed paper, skimmed it and his frown inched back to a smile. The poster declared a vacant position for a worker at the park. Eagerly showing his best friend the flyer, Red immediately hopped to the streets, dragging an unwilling Green behind him; the two monsters hobbled past the church, nodded respectfully to the blissey sweeping the entrance and hurtled towards the park. Green halted at the entrance, where a humungous marble fountain drew his attention. Water. He groaned and gingerly slunk behind Red who burst through the hedge-esque gate, brushing aside fragrant shoots and beaming a greeting to his grass type friends.

Flowers danced, swaying gently to a breezy rhythm. Squeezing the poster in one vine and noosing another around Green's neck, Bulbasaur, oblivious to how the other plant pokemon eyed the fire type, gleefully asked for directions to the park Emporium and torpedoed with Charmander's protests tossing unheard in the wind. The marble fountain, easily the size of a full grown onix, gurgled happily, it's basin, carved in the imitation of scales and seashells, was raised off the ground and it cast a wide shadow at its base. A bust of Lugia, guardian of the seas, hovered over the arrangement, its sapphire gemstone eyes glimmering. Oak strained against the lasso around his short neck, didn't Red feel the burn? Twisting, he searched the statue, eyes gleaning a mother of pearl body and rivulets of water gliding off curved wings. Lost in the quest to land a job, Bulbasaur traversed grassland and cheerily yelled pleasantries to his equally cheery plant type acquaintances as they sunned themselves or cleaned the park. A shop front, reminiscent of a green house, loomed in front of them and Green sneezed, cursing and quickly stamping orange embers when it caught the carpet of foliage leading to the emporium.

Finally, Red let him go.

The plant type's vines wriggled in the air and he stared, wide eyed at the multitude of shrubs and berry bushes in tubs. Some were tiny, no more than a weedy shoot struggling to push through topsoil. Others were majestic, fruit bearing specimens standing tall and fighting for space. The entire shop stank of sweet scent and stomach rumbling, Green hurtled outside. Red ran after him, concern written on his face. "What's wrong?" he asked, "Do you feel like burning something again?"

Panting and wiping cloying sweat from his leathery skin, Charmander replied, reptilian gaze spearing into his oblivious best friend. "Yes," he hissed, "and your bulb is looking pretty combustible. Why did you bring me here? Just look at how they're are cowering when they see me." He pointed to the other grass types.

"Hmm, don't worry, with our powers combined, we'll be able to grind your dragon bones to dust!" Bulbasaur grinned crookedly. "Don't flatter yourself Green, just 'cause you're a fire type, doesn't mean we plants can't give you a good beating." Red nonchalantly plucked a berry and popped it into his mouth. "Want a Rawst berry?"

Oak flushed when several other monsters shot him sardonic grins. A roserade smirked at him, all sultry charm and poison when she beat the soil with a spiked vine. "Point taken." The lizard dejectedly mumbled.

The two froze on sensing a menacing aura behind them. Without wasting a moment, Red whipped around, using his vines to create considerable distance between him and the opponent whilst Green dropped to the floor and rolled, leaving steaming grass in his wake. They faced off against a serperior. A magnificent creature in every sense. An uncut emerald dangled on a vine around its slender neck and large, golden hoops pierced the tips of its collar like projections. Sniffing the air carefully, Bulbasaur met the grass snake's eyes. Blank. Nothing whirled in the serpent's ruby irises. Shuffling backwards, Red studied the creature, his mind softening. Serperior calmly returned the stare, its eyes judging. The creature's leafy tail twitched slightly and a ripple cascaded through its muscular body. A heady sweet scent diffused and Red melted, gulping in the scent like his existence depended on it. Grasping the wilting creature with steel claws, Green shook his companion thoroughly and screamed at him to stay awake. When Bulbasaur gibbered gibberish and wondered if serperior tasted like mint, Charmander flung the seed pokemon behind him and glared. The regal pokemon focused on him and Oak blinked. Unlike Red's sweet scent which induced sneezes, the exquisite aroma dispersed by the snake, soothed him. In a few short moments, Oak looked at his well-honed claws and dumbly pondered their use.

Fighting with his instincts to roll over and sleep, Red regarded the serperior from a safe distance. The grass serpent stood statue still; then, slithered past a dazed Charmander and alighted right in front of Bulbasaur, casting a long shadow on the ground. "You want to work here?" Serperior rumbled. "One of my aides informed me about a funny bulbasaur seeking a job at the park. At times, I see you here early in the morning, soaking dew and sunlight and…using combee as target practice." A multitude of vines crawled from the serpent's back and ensnared the seed pokemon. Biting down a yelp, Red willed himself to stop trembling as serperior raised him to eye level. "You are inexperienced and rash, you do not think before acting. Your confidence... did not morph into egotistical pride. And..." Bending, the regal monster sniffed Red's bulb. "Your sweet scent is so potent, your companion must be suffering." Setting him back on the grass, Serperior watched the bulbasaur pace backwards and stand to stiff attention. "You shall bloom into a deadly creature one day; in the meantime, you are hired. I am the owner of the park and emporium...Although it is a temporary ownership. I go by the name of Cyng." Slithering beneath the emporium's awning, the snake continued, its quiet voice never rising nor dipping. "Welcome to the Park, I trust you will contribute greatly to making Treasure Town a green haven." He graced Red with a fleeting smile.

Bulbasaur blinked, unable to believe his good fortune. Some distance away from him, Charmander wagged his tail. At least Red will have better things to do than loll around the condominium and repeatedly shatter the neighbors' eardrums. "I...Am hired?" A wide grinned rolled across his maw. "That's great. I'll do my very best!" The seed pokemon's eyes glimmered in subtle pride. "Say...What about Green, can't he get a place here?" Serperior paused in his elegant stalking and turned his head around, the rings on his collar-like appendages jingled. Seeing his enigmatic expression twist, Bulbasaur quickly added, "Even if he is a fire type, Green is not going to hurt anyone. He's not a threat." To emphasize his point, Red sat squashed against the lizard. "He has very good self-control."

No scintilla of emotion danced in Serperior's imperial red irises. "Threat?" He hissed softly, and the fine leaves on Bulbasaur's back stood rigid. "I do not perceive your fire type companion as a threat." The grass snake shifted his scrutiny to the dragon shrinking under his gaze. Despite the regal beast's bland face, Oak knew he concocted one hundred and one strategies on how to skin a charmander. "Simply put, he cannot work here due to his nature." Red sputtered a protest, gesticulating wildly and defending his friend. "I understand, but the grass he reclines on, perishes. We pokemon may not be affected by him, but our job entails us to raise saplings...That charmander will only wreak destruction, he will kill anything he touches. Perhaps, when his tail stops emitting fire..." Serperior droned and Red shrieked, springing when Green's tail ignited the lawn. "Fire types are not welcome here." The serpent's vine shot inside the emporium, zigzagged past rows of workers and snaked into his office; snatching a clean piece of paper and a pen, the appendage reeled back. "One of my associates, Claene, has a shortage of employees at her mart. Maybe you should try your luck there?" The uncut emerald around the serpent's neck gleamed dimly when he curved down to hand the paper to Green. "You will find the place in Market square, to the west of the residential area." Oak thanked him and reached for the paper. "If you go now, you might land yourself a job."

* * *

Late afternoon

Treasure Town

Market area

As usual, the mart area jostled with shoppers and hawkers, Green, clutching a leaflet and tail twitching at Red's tuneless whistling, dodged to the side each time a large pokemon stomped forth. The streets of the market burst with merchandise, monsters heckled prices and goods, they displayed Technical Machines for those not confident on their move sets or luxurious gummis for beasts appreciating gourmet food. Red bounced to an old, squalid cofagrigus billowing smoke from its hands. The plant type gazed at the items on exhibition: scented envelopes and paper, for sending letters to a loved one. Herbs and roots, soil dusting the tray they lay on. Gummis, glorious, shiny gummis in colors of silver and gold. Mouth watering, Red paused on feeling Green simmer next to him. Ignoring him, the seed pokemon floundered to the next stall and peered at their offerings. Bottles and jars of medicines, squares of chocolate suspended in clear fluid and Red gagged at them. Large apples, their skins waxed to perfection, waved teasingly at him and Bulbasaur tore his gaze away from the juicy fruits and scrambled after his friend.

Cinccino's market was tucked in a corner of the trading area. A postal service functioned next to it and a dozen wingull and pelipper flapped to the open rafters, depositing their letters into boxes whilst a crew of clefairy whisked the baskets away and handed new parcels to the bird monsters. Tarps flapped in the wind. Bird screeches clashed as they beat their wings and launched into overcast skies. Feathers drifted downwards and a raichu swept them away. Sitting on top of a tall mast fixed on the postal tower, a castform interpreted the weather, its voice amplified by a loudred. It forecasted rain for the next three days and to confirm the castform's predictions, the afternoon grew gloomier.

"This is the place." Crimson eyes trailed the shop, rising and falling over its architectural bumps and grooves. "Hey, cool design; it looks just like a cinccino's head." Red pointed to the ears and window-esque eyes. "Check out the collar ruff thing, doesn't it look cute?" Nauseated by the bright colors and buneary bopping at the entrance, Green's confidence wavered.

"I'll wait for a couple of more days before setting out to find a new job..." he weakly suggested.

His best friend gasped. "No! You can't, Layla's gonna kill you." Green grunted, he had a point. "Besides," Red gestured with a vine, "let's check it out, it looks like a gift shop, thus, it's a perfectly neutral place for you to work in." Seeing indecision flicker in jade irises, Red further clarified, "Look, just take a peek inside alright? For all you know, it might be a nice place to work in..." The plant beast's tone sunk. "From the way new pokemon are streaming in here, I doubt you will find a job very quickly, so it's a first come and first serve basis. Who knows, with enough money, we could move out of that peeling condominium and get a better place since Layla makes it a point to rub our pathetic existences in our faces. There are nice houses in the northern suburbs." He trailed off and scowled thoughtfully. "Come on, let's go inside and see."

They stepped into a cool foyer lit with shimmering flames in glass orbs. Wooden shelves groaned underneath curiosities of stone or marble figurines and broken shards of luminescent crystal. Red sneered at the glowing fragments, they looked too familiar and he scrubbed his mind free from Eres, lately, he began dreaming about that Gallade. Further ahead, tiny, silver tablets hung on leather cords. Transparent baubles carried lilac lampent flames. Dragon scales and teeth were buffed to a mirror-like shine and here, they found a minccino dusting the granite tiles of the shop. The chinchilla pokemon directed them to a huge counter at the back. Dissatisfied with his work area, Green lagged behind, tail drooping and leaving scorch marks. Obediently, minccino trailed after him and cleaned, silently growling threats and baring fangs. The counter, manned by an emolga who piped a friendly greeting and a mischievous pansear, spanned the back of the shop and behind it; Red craned his neck to see a mountain load of gift boxes neatly piled on each other. A shrill call for the owner revealed the shapely form of a Cinccino; she smiled genially at them and squeaked a welcome.

"My friend needs a job." Red declared abruptly.

"Thanks…." Charmander gritted and turned to the curious owner. "I...Am still contemplating on a job-"

"He's got awesome self-control." The seed pokemon gurgled and his companion jerked.

"And I'm not sure if I should work here because this is out of my comfort zone." Charmander's tail drooped, adding fresh marks to the spotless floor. Unbeknownst to the trio, minccino plotted revenge.

"Oh yeah, I totally forgot you hate interacting with people...Err I guess its pokemon in this case."

Ignoring the bulbasaur, Oak forged. "I'm worried about tearing things up. My claws are rather sharp and at times, I'm not consciously aware of where I swing my tail." He brought the scraggly appendage forward. "As you can see, I've got a flame erupting from it."

"Yeah, he almost burned me on several occasions." Red nodded sagely, "Unpleasant experience I assure you."

"...So, I apologize for wasting your time, but I'll be back in a few days to accept or decline the jo-"

"Green is good with handling money and accounts," Bulbasaur smiled sardonically, "and he's a charmer, he'll attract all the ladies in town and business will go great."

 _One day_ , the fire type seethed at his crooning companion, _I'll burn your bulb into a piece of bulb shaped charcoal._

Claene cocked an amused eyebrow and subjected the new employee to a once over, she scribbled words and percentages on her clipboard, pausing to adjust her spectacles. "I suppose Bulbasaur has a point, your draconic charm has the option of increasing patronage by fifty percent." Oak balked whilst Red simpered knowingly, victory stamped on his pockmarked face. "You can man the counter with Emolga and Pansear, since you are good with accounts and I trust you will handle the budget of this shop quite perfectly." Charmander blinked, his tail agitatedly whipped from side to side. "Moreover," his new boss stated and looked at him again, "you are a fire type and thus, you will contribute to the dry atmosphere in the room and help preserve the objects requiring heat. Like the dragon scales and swablu puffs. Also, if you mind your tail, I predict you will have less than a fifteen percent chance of actually ruining anything. I sense you are careful and calculated." She smiled, pushed her glasses upwards and penned a large set of figures; neat handwriting flashed over sheets of paper and filled them with graphs. "Welcome to Cinccino's gift mart. I will slot you for night shift..." She trailed off on her third examination of Green and her crystalline eyes bugged. Panicking, Charmander searched himself, failing to spot anything extraordinary.

She pointed at his creamy belly. Specifically to an imperceptible smudge of dirt.

"I'll clean myself before coming to work" Oak hastily announced but to no avail. Mood doing a revolution, the scarf pokemon abruptly dumped her clipboard on Red's forehead and seized hold of her new worker. Muttering angrily about how she absolutely abhorred anything dirty, she dragged Oak to an open space and Red watched, horrified as she grabbed her scarf-esque appendages and scrubbed vigorously, ignoring Green's grunts of pain. Meanwhile, the seed monster stared left and right, the emolga and pansear shook their heads and shrugged helplessly. Placing the clipboard on the counter, Red prepared healing spores for his best friend, wincing each time Charmander screeched.

 _I was trying to help him,_ he contemplated, _Mew, what did I get him into?_

Around the same time

Gehenna

Outskirts of Treasure Town

Carefully navigating the shrub land on the northern boarders of Gehenna, Layla stamped the earth, seeing nothing on the fields of ice ascending to frost capped mountains. Gnarled trees, mere feathery branches instead of solid vegetation, firmly rooted in the ground, trunks and roots covered in ice. She shivered, how did anything survive in this cold? Deep within the valleys of the mountains, her sharp vision zeroed in on rusting, behemoth chains. Each link as large as a minor golem. These rotting chains, shining silver and earth, tethered another dungeon into a steep valley. The grass beneath her paws prickled and she skulked back to the safety of the sparse plantation separating Treasure Town and the icy plains. Pupitar bounced next to her, punching little holes in the ground with each hop. Nodding to each other, they prowled around some more, eyes peeled and ears cocked to catch sound. The only noise reaching their ears was the lament of the winds as it skipped past, leaving a layer of frost in its wake. Absol patrolled, claws skidding over iced rocks and when she turned around to meet her patrol mate, she found Umbreon, calmly sitting on a boulder and licking his face clean.

"Anything out of the ordinary?" he gruffly questioned and scanned the horizon. "It's too quiet..." he looked up, noting rolling clouds amassing on top of the mountain range. "And I sense a storm brewing." Layla replied in negative, nervously pawing the ground and searching again. "Your horn, does it convey anything?" Umbreon interrogated, celeste blue eyes locked on Absol and she shook her head. "Then, there is nothing wrong." Far from appearing relaxed, the feline raked his claws over the rock he sat on, the obsidian tips sheared through the frozen surface effortlessly. "The black market is getting out of hand, yesterday; they dredged more junk from the sea. I heard one of them was a sniper rifle." Layla frowned, what did all of this have to do with her? "They also pulled up cursed sableye jewels and spiritomb keystones...No doubt they will fashion accessories out of them." Tamen distastefully eyed Layla's necklace of bone fragments. "We can't let them expand their influence..." The moonlight pokemon bared his teeth and smoothly leapt off the rock. At the same moment, pupitar bounced through the sparse foliage. "Your shift is nearly over, I need to make one stop at the guild before I let you two off. Come with me," he ordered. Tail held high, he marched back into Treasure Town. Streaking over roof tops, Absol spied the familiar, peeling paint building of hers. The gates of the domicile were tightly shut and no lights burned. Sighing, she dismissed her flat mates from her mind and the trio of dark monsters neared the village square, stopping before the guild.

The gate groaned, tendrils of darkness forced the wooden doors apart. The ever present, brash hubbub in the vestibule died immediately. A deathly silence. All pokemon, big or small, meekly stepped aside. Body rings glowing faintly, Umbreon briefly nodded to Manectric and enquired about Wigglytuff. "You will find him on the fourth floor sir, Team Emblem is currently poring over some trouble in Bryst's dungeon, as you know, he can be quite...Abrasive." The electric type smiled tightly and bowed. Tail twitching, Umbreon paraded upstairs, posted Layla and Pupitar at the entrance of the lounge, and disappeared through the partition.

Restlessly pawing the corridor, Absol flattened her ears against the argument flaring moments after her superior stalked in. In the midst of their heated arguing, she involuntarily smiled when Gothitelle intervened. Violin and harps sung lullabies in her head; and water flowed over rocks. Minutes later the area delved into deadly quietude; and she heard the moonlight pokemon's words ring clearly.

"Wiggly, Dom and his black market personnel are getting out of hand! You are a respected guild master, do something!" Umbreon's words struck like peals of thunder, leaving nothing but pain and burns in its wake. "They are scavenging more illegal artifacts from the Sea. And they are trafficking rare candies around Town. You know this is illegal!" His guttural tones dropped into a cutting whisper, no less lethal.

The guild master's airy tones sliced through the dark beast's demands. "Tamen, I appreciate your contribution in making Treasure Town a peaceful hamlet. Your predecessor must be proud and judging from the look on Mel's face, you have a long life ahead of you." The couch squelched, Wiggly probably sat down on a cushion. "For one, even if we do squash the black market, they will always spring up somewhere else. We cannot deny that certain residents need the products offered by the black market. Meat for example." The guild master's voice dropped, words too quiet for Layla's ears; however, Tamen's growls of displeasure were distinct. "Also, I owe my existence to them; therefore I am not keen to raze their operation. We have other, pressing matters to discuss and if you want to help, stick around, if not, shoo." Another creature snickered heartily at the guild master's words.

"Wiggly, treat Tamen with more respect, he is essential to keeping your Town safe." Pipe organs vibrated, painting the room with a rich sound. "He presents a valid poi-" Layla stopped listening and allowed nostalgic memories to wash over her. She forgot being a pokemon and wallowed in the conjured memories of a future, wonderful life.

"Layla."

She jerked upright, tail lowering when her boss glared at her. He dismissed both her and Pupitar with a curt flick of his tail and marched back into the meeting room. Nodding to her partner, Absol slipped out of the guild and spent several moments staring at the village square. The setting sun set the horizon aflame and peeling her eyes away from the orange tints, she set off, wondering if her flat mates returned home or still bumbled around Treasure Town. Remembering the lack of food at the condominium, Layla switched strides and headed to the eatery. They were having take-out tonight.

The eatery, situated north east of the guild, was a popular, two story establishment catering to all kinds of pokemon. Open for twenty four hours, it also served as a cafe and a rest stop. The owner, currently a vespiquen, maintained her establishment's integrity with market fresh ingredients and rare eatables only sold in dungeon marts. Due to the diner's accommodative and friendly environment, it attracted all sorts of crowds. Wondering what to order, Layla stalked to the eatery, she craved their yogurt and honey sandwiches. Grinning to herself, a feat which did not occur often, she put one paw over the threshold and cringed. "Sparks!" Hollered a very familiar voice from behind and she twisted around and recoiled on seeing Green; His creased, leather skin shone a vibrant crimson and a multitude of vines wrapped around him. Red supported the fire type and Absol flinched. The bulbasaur must be in deep pain and yet...

Layla sighed.

Once upon a time, someone held her like that.

A part of her hated them, their over eagerness. She despised Red's endless passion and his oddly endearing ways of showing affection. He smiled all the time and warmth swirled in blood tinted irises. Green on the other hand, tolerated his friend's shenanigans with tight lips and occasional threats, but he too, cared deeply for the gurgling bulb. Bulbasaur's vines were a turgid scarlet and yet, he guided the steaming charmander through the gate. "Funny meeting you here, we can all party and then go home right?" Red grinned, revealing a set of ivory teeth. "Green, you okay?" Oak snapped expletives and his tail beat the floor angrily. "...Guess he's feeling rather fine. So, how did work go?" The trio winded through a maze of tables, monsters and low hanging lights and settled at a corner loft with stone tables and stools. A combee buzzed past, depositing glasses of spring water and a menu.

Grabbing the menu, Absol listlessly glanced at the words and nodded to the dragon. "What happened to you?" she demanded and received a rambling explanation from Red. Apparently, the two of them secured evening shifts at the Park and Cinccino's mart respectively. Bulbasaur tended to plants and his employer gave him an option to squeeze an extra shift at dawn whilst Green wore an apron and manned a counter. The plant type snickered and promptly burst into laughter on relating Oak's predicament. Cinccino noticed a tiny smudge of dirt on Charmander's skin and whaled on him, using her fur to brush and oil him clean. With each vigorous rub, he heated to feverish degrees. By the time the scarf pokemon finished, poor Green could not stand upright anymore. The fire monster growled and gulped a glass of water whilst Red animatedly recounted the events. An azurill bounced to the table and politely enquired for their order and Layla, patience rapidly thinning, turned her attention towards the water type and quickly rattled off items. Clinking plates and muted conversation flowed and Absol fixated on the counter area, where fermented fruit and berry juice were sold. A honeycomb pattern carved the ceiling and walls and golden stalks of straw carpeted the floor. When her yogurt arrived, she dug into it gratefully and the plant and fire duo shifted in front of her.

"Order what you want, I'll pay for it." Layla paused in her eating and gestured to the menu, to her annoyance, the two idiots asked for tankards of honey.

The most expensive item offered by the eatery.

Vespiquen zigzagged through the tables; tailed by a small order of combee bearing tiny, platinum trays. She greeted her patrons, dropping little gifts to familiar faces. As she zoomed past Layla's table, the queen stopped and struck a conversation with them. Smacking his lips, Red asked for another jar of honey and Layla's eye twitched. The bee pokemon buzzed with laughter and placed a tiny jar on the table, she tittered about her business, asked them about their daily lives and to both Green and Layla's impatience, Bulbasaur cheerfully answered and they sat through a swarm of combee and their fluttering wings. When Vespiquen swooped away, trailing laughter and dropping gift coupons, the duo glared at the seed pokemon heatedly.

"She gave us coupons." Red waved his prizes in the air, Charmander mellowed immediately and asked for a fruit sandwich.

Layla waited while they finished their food and scanned the eatery. The interior, spaced into multi elemental lofts, spanned several meters; velvet rope and lucario bouncers guarded the luxurious suites and she craned her neck to see bright water beds floating on a large, tiled pond. Lost in a day dream, Absol imagined herself sipping juice and lounging on a bed lulled by soothing waves. Another corner featured couches in dragon hide and she winced, wondering which poor souls offered their skins. Patrons clashed mugs, shouted encouragements and sloshed milk all over tables. Eyes heavy, she rotated to see Red carefully cleaning up a mess. "So did any one of you research the Dungeon of Pride?" Layla enquired. Too tired to glower, she plopped her head on her forepaws. "I only know that it soars with the clouds," She added and waited for an answer, or some flattering nonsense from Red.

The bulbasaur surprised her. "Green read about the history of Gehenna and since I don't have patience for walls of text, I went through some books mentioning pride." Red neatly piled the dirty cutlery in the middle of the table, one stray vine played with a spoon. "The dungeon is situated way to the north and high above the frosted mountains...Which begs the question, how in Arceus' name are we gonna get there?" A moment of silence claimed their table as they thought. "Anyway, we should ask someone to fly us up there..." he broke off, face scrunched in contemplation. "It also said the boss is a sea serpent with prismatic scales. The dungeon is a palace with isles of land amongst an ocean." Red eyed Charmander from the corner of his eye. "So we can let Green rest on those islands in case he...Uh...Gets fatigued from soaking in too much water." Bulbasaur exhaled and locked eyes with Absol. "Must he go?" He asked, desperation marring his normally toothy grin. "I mean, he is a fire type, fire and channels of water don't mix, he'll fall ill and I'm really worried."

"I'm sure Wiggly informed you about the consequences of not completing the dungeons." The disaster beast rose and the bone fragments around her neck, rattled. "Have you seen spontaneous combustion?" Red hesitantly nodded, eyes cast down, "…If you prefer Charmander rather spontaneously burst in black flames then yeah, go ahead and leave him behind."

Red's vines danced threateningly in the air. "You must've led one heck of a sad life for you to be this bitter." He hissed venomously. "I am worried about him and all you do is scoff at us every living moment. Didn't you have someone you cared about?" The plant monster invariably climbed on the table, bud leeching acid. The lilac drops gnawed on stone. Layla dismissively eyed the vines creeping against the chair and contorting on the floor. An exhausted murmur from Green stopped Bulbasaur in his tracks and the latter sent his friend a sullen look. "Make sure you get plenty of rest before we tackle the Dungeon of Pride," Red intoned. Sniffing angrily, he bounced off the table and gruffly announced. "I'm going to work. I'll be back before the moon rises." Bulb snapping shut; he tottered through the crowd and disappeared. Absol watched his retreating form, her stomach tightening in guilt.

* * *

Evening

Treasure Town

Park

A tiny potted plant suffered the unshielded wrath of Red's glare. It sensed the acrimonious intentions of the tending monster and quivered; the previous conversation with Layla sang a taunting duet in Bulbasaur's head and he grumpily poked holes in the soil, spitting under his breath. Why did the stupid wigglytuff think life would be pleasant with a perpetually moody, constantly berating dark pokemon? Red huffed and unthinking, heaped more compost over his plant. In the late working hours, the greenhouse emporium remained silent, only the faraway sounds of splashing water and the occasional, comforting murmurs of other grass types, echoed in the vast space. Red eyed his plant, a pathetic thing wobbling between a sturdy shrub and a berry tree; the weed reminded him of himself. Small, defenseless and utterly confused. Feeling rather sorry, he gently brushed the leaves free of soil and stiffened at a presence behind him.

Cyng slithered into the light, revealing gleaming coils of muscle and emerald scales. Anxious to leave a good impression Red cleaned his herb faster, however, the plant, dirty and struggling, gave up on its charge and wilted.

"What ails you?" The grass snake prodded and Bulbasaur stepped away from the pot. "If you harbor poison in your mind, you will eventually poison the ones under your care."

"I'm a half poison type," Red quipped and observed the wilted plant wriggling under the careful guidance of the regal monster. "I synthesize poison for defending and attacking." He glanced at his co-workers. The others milled about, willowy movements exuding exquisite grace.

Serperior trained his ponderous gaze on him and Red recoiled at the nothingness divulged in the serpent's face. "I asked you if there is something bothering you. You cannot share your energy with something when that energy is tainted." Red shifted, chewing on his superior's words. "Grass types are slow to mature, we cultivate growth through meditation and we share our energy with those around us. If you do not think of yourself as a plant, you shall fail in your duties. Clinging to your human remnants will only make the trials of Gehenna difficult." Serperior coaxed the plant back to life and it waved happily. To his surprise, Red sensed energy emanating from the herb.

Snacking on a wad of vegetation from his back, Bulbasaur allowed the tangy taste of lemongrass to fill his mouth and he quietly marveled at Cyng's expertise. "I am scared and worried. This Gehenna is weird, it frightens me." He softly confessed and the grass snake nodded and gazed at him with ruby eyes. "Well, I deserve this punishment because I earned it, but, it's so difficult to adjust. I have nightmares all the time and I am confused-"

"You are guilty." Cyng interjected and the uncut emerald around its neck dully reflected light filtering from the glass roof. Refusing to meet the serpent's knowing stare, Red studied his paws. "What you are guilty of, I do not know, but understand this; you acknowledged your place in Gehenna. We all deserve to be here." Collar rings jangling, the snake stooped to Bulbasaur's level. "However, you can accept your punishment and clear yourself for a better life or wallow in self-grievances. To move on, the first step is acceptance. You are a plant type, capable of bringing forth life and destruction. At times you need to yield, allow yourself to be cut off and trampled on, because you do not belong there. Other times, when it comes to standing up for what you believe in, you have to be hard and harsh. Roots split rock, crumble through buildings and poison kills, eroding and eating." Serperior paused in his narration stared at the moon. "Do you understand my words?"

"Hmm." The Bulbasaur nodded.

"Then go home tonight and make peace with the one you disturbed." Red did not move from his spot, he vacantly gazed at the form of Serperior as he whispered encouragement to potted plants.

* * *

 **A/N:** Happy Single Awareness day everyone! Let's be SAD together. Unless you have a significant other, then go and gorge chocolate together.

Anyway, please enjoy this chapter. Feedback is always appreciated. At Setriel: Can you believe that my sister does not like dark chocolate? My own flesh and blood? I feel betrayed. Meet someone they knew in life? Heh...


	7. Glimpse of the surface world

**Glimpse of the surface world**

Afternoon

Treasure Town

Guild

"The dungeon floats in the clouds, a place so high, even flying types have difficulty reaching there." Gothitelle paced the chamber, light winking off the bejeweled crown atop her head. A trickle of loud noises seeped into the first floor meeting hall and no matter the time, a deafening din permanently pervaded the guild foyer. "Teleportation from Treasure Town to Pride's dungeon is a risky venture, unless you are a master psychic type who knows how, where and when to teleport. Usually, it is safe to warp from the frozen wastelands, unfortunately, it is problematic to stand in the ice for hours and the more delicate creatures are unable to handle this. For this reason, we, Team Emblem, erected a teleportation circle inside the basement floor of the trial and I shall teleport the three of you there." The psychic type sailed to a stop. "Did everyone understand or should I repeat my words?"

Bulbasaur surprised her by nodding solemnly.

Melody eyed the other occupants, a charmander; face an expression of pure bliss, weakly wagged his tail. Next to him, Absol balled on the ground, a zany smile revealing pearly fangs. Only the grass type held itself together and listened attentively. Gothitelle sighed and asked the bulbasaur to repeat her words, for the benefit of his friends.

Red dumbly nodded a second time.

Glaring at them, Gothitelle's eyes widened when the space behind her distorted. Planets whizzed in the chamber, which tinted to a nebulous of red, mauve and black. Stars winked in the distance and a sun scorched. The planets rotated faster and the astral body pokemon, eyes glowing an eerie celeste, lifted her hands. Startled out of their musical stupor, the trio sitting before Melody, jolted and threw each other panicked glimpses. The astronomical bodies circled faster, completing their orbits in a mere matter of seconds. Stars formed and died, bright flares throbbed against eyes. Suddenly the planets stopped and aligned themselves, the cosmic surroundings dimmed and flashed a new set of images. Endless channels of water sloshed beneath patterned arches. In a narrow strait, a charmander, teeth gritted and struggling against high tide, swam one way. Absol, powerful forepaws cutting through the water, veered opposite. Atop a rocky platform stood Bulbasaur, calmly watching the two creatures drown. The projections winked into nonexistence and Red crawled backwards, horrified by the fragmentary scenes. A thousand excuses and defenses churned in his head. _I will never do that!_ He wanted to scream, to shout, alas, Green did not look at him and Layla pawed the floor. Unlike the guild vestibule and its cracked stone tiles, the ground in the first floor meeting room remained clean and unblemished. A series of Corinthian pillars supported a vaulted ceiling, the roof sported vivid frescoes and Giratina's scarlet eyes peeked from an obscured bloom of black and glared at them all.

"...The three of you are..." Melody broke off and resumed her pacing.

"In big trouble." Green finished and closed his eyes. "We will survive," he reassured himself. Twisting back and glimpsing the conflicted expression on his comrade's face, he added, "Stop moping around Red, so what if you saw a few predications from Gothitelle's future sight? That does not mean we can't change anything." Near him, Layla muttered about how Melody never foretold a wrong vision and Oak's whirled to face her. "And your point is? We will survive Pride's trial and come back here so Red can tend to his plants or whatever he's into these days." Bulbasaur gave no inclination of hearing Green's convoluted words of comfort. "Hey, snap out of it and let's get moving." The grass type smiled shakily and Charmander wondered what occupied his friend's mind these days. He hardly joined them for breakfast and before the sun rose, the front door to the condominium banged shut. At times, Green woke up and gazed out of his circular window to see a lone bulbasaur shuffling down the deserted street with a leafy satchel wreathed around its bud. The morning dew hardly evaporated and through a curtain of fine mist, Red vanished.

The trio sat in strained silence and listened intently when Gothitelle related survival tips. Seesawing between wind chimes and dire warnings, Bulbasaur irritably shook his head as his thoughts wandered all over the place. Serperior's advice hummed at the back of his mind and an orchestra snared him in a web of music. Caving in, he wilted like his companions. A tiny part of him laughed at Green and Layla, despite their rigorous self-control, they too, could not resist the alluring thrum of Melody's voice. His eyes panned downwards, from the crown of polished jewels atop her head, to her tiny, round face and the appendages glimmering on her dress. Gothitelle floated permanently, the edge of her body always five centimeters off the ground. The dual dark and psychic type gesticulated wildly, sighed more than she talked and each exhale widened the grin on her mesmerized subjects. She muttered, tried to form a psychic link with all three of them but the link rebounded. Melody frowned; glanced at the empty room and teleported.

"Guys...She's gone," Layla relayed gloomily, disappointed for losing control so easily. Next to her, Red and Green rolled around, the former showering lilac petals, the latter burning them happily. "This is bad, we didn't hear what she said and we are ill prepared. The only thing I remember..." Absol broke off, growling. In actual fact, she remembered nothing.

Snapping back to his senses, Green cloaked his fist in fire and punched Red, the plant type immediately composed himself, coughed, puffed his chest and spoke, "Let see, Melody mentioned something about teleporting us to the dungeon." Layla and Green cocked their eyebrows, they were impressed. A little. "Even with flying types, it is hazardous to get there safely so she is doing us a huge favor." A coy grin unfurled on Red's maw. "We must be present during the evening, if we are late; we'll lose our chance at completing Pride. Apparently Team Emblem is very busy...Who are they anyway?" Bulbasaur enquired and received dirty looks. Oak, his former elation evaporating when reality seeped in, patiently sat with Red and explained that Team Emblem was a three monster group consisting of Wiggly, Gothitelle and Steelix. They oversaw all the affairs of Treasure Town and served as its protectors. In particular, Melody has an invisible net tying her to each and every minor and major occurrence inside the Town. Red grimaced. "So...She knows when I'm raiding the cabinet for Pecha berry preserves?"

"What?!" Layla roared and the fur on her back rose. "You are the one behind my empty jars?" Bulbasaur squeaked and hid behind Green who slumped when the bigger absol bared her fangs. "Do you know how difficult is it to get them? Those preserves are dungeon exclusive items, they come from the poison swamped area of Envy's trial and you…you simply steal them?"

Red quivered. "I share them with my plant type friends at the emporium and they thanked you for your generosity," he bravely piped and Layla's amber eye twitched. Snarling, she stalked through the double height wooden doors without glancing back. As her tail disappeared, Bulbasaur wiped himself with a leaf and chortled. "Mew, sometimes she frightens me so much, I leach toxins from my pores." Green ignored him in favor of staring rivetedly at the carved doors. "What should we do? I'm not in the mood to get my bulb smashed by Master Mei and besides, training right before entering a trial is stupid." Red paused and his face lit up. "Wanna head back to the condo and gather supplies? Admit it, my Oran berry rations are pretty handy right?" Nodding absent mindedly, Charmander slogged behind Red and suggested they visit the library to gather more information. "Excellent idea," the seed pokemon agreed, "you fill your brain with facts, while I raid our kitchen and stock on items." A sadistic grin lifted the corners of Oak's reptilian lips and he prodded his companion to embezzle all of the berry preserves. Red mirrored his smirk. "Heh, sometimes you amaze me, put that brain into good use, I'm counting on you if we get stuck." Saying this, he dashed full speed ahead. "Oh yeah, see you in the evening, don't do anything to exert yourself, you hear me?" his words grew fainter. "And take a nap before we start the trial!" Standing at the entrance, Oak watched Red weaving himself out.

"Stop worrying about me." Charmander murmured and steered his mind away from the vision Gothitelle showed them. "I'll be fine."

* * *

Morning of the same day

Gehenna

Condominium

Dragging himself out of the warm swirl of bright red flames, Green splashed a bucket of water over his bed and forlornly stared at the remains of his ruined bed. Water. He shuddered and faltered towards the stone table situated in the middle of the room. Grabbing the scarred stone tablet, he licked his claws and sharpened them. A tingle ran from the base of his skull, right down to the tip of his tail. Pain felt good. He repeated the motion till the claws buffed to a deadly shine. Satisfied, he stalked to the corner; where a bunch of dried logs sat desolately amongst discarded straw and drawing a small branch, Oak stuffed it in his gullet and sat down to meditate. Wigglytuff taught him this particular method to conjure fire, but so far, all his efforts ended in hacking up a fire ball and charring his throat with the branch half way down his esophagus. Due to his superior's utter disdain for filth, he thoroughly cleaned himself each morning. Crouching on the mosaic patterned floor, Green emptied his mind and willed for fire to boil in the depths of his being. His stomach warmed, it grew hot, fire broiled and a pillar of flames erupted from his mouth.

Charmander screeched and fire raced up his gullet. It was acid eating at soft tissue. Leaving a raw trail of agony behind.

A shout from Layla, snoozing in her third floor room, prompted him to pull the charred log out of his mouth and toss it into his bed. Oak slammed his door open and banged it shut. No dark pokemon was going to scare him into submission. Trotting proudly to the kitchen, his spirits sank on missing the gurgling presence of Red. A cabinet door flapped and shrugging, he closed it. Lighting the fire, he grabbed a cast iron pot, poured a quantity of milk and set it to boil, turning to the bread bin, he reduced perfect slices of bread into black husks and crunched them between sets of finger sized teeth. Watery sunlight clawed on the floor and he checked his schedule right as a yawning Layla marched inside. Exchanging small talk, he thanked her for breakfast and vaguely answered when she enquired about Red. Oak's head snapped, was that guilt swimming in her irises? Absol's honey flecked eyes darted about and he decided he did not want to find out. Easing from the stone stool, he dumped his ceramic plates in the sink and meandered out.

His shift started later; however, he ended up in the cool interior of Cinccino's mart. Standing to stiff attention, Green smiled tightly when Claene prowled to him, clipboard in hand, and gave him a once over. Her business-like visage mellowed on spying flawless dragon hide and she gestured him to the counter. Oak joined his co-workers and indifferently snorted when Emolga flirted with him. Each day, she spouted new nonsense about his features and today, she settled for his eyes. Usually, Green stopped listening to her after the first word, but this morning, he hummed halfheartedly and instantly regretted it when she waxed poetry. Pansear gagged at the other end and sent him a sheepish grin and Charmander's tail hung in embarrassment. When the first wave of customers entered, Green straightened and on the floor, minccino suffered a heart attack at all the grubby foot prints. It armed itself with several cleaning implements and set to work, sweeping the floor with both its tail and a broom. A mixed group consisting of riolu, meowth and a kirlia, browsed through the store, commenting on the curiosities in high pitched voices. They dumped a cartload of items at the cashier and Green remembered the fundamental rule of interacting with others and not scaring them away.

Smile.

Greet.

And be pleasant.

Cinccino ironed these cardinal dictums into his head and at times, he muttered her strict protocols in his sleep. His boss liked to draw herself to her full height, scribble a never ending string of statistics on her clipboard and she was an expert in the arts of cleaning and management. Oak admired her professional manner when she interacted with others and the gentle smiles she sent them if he and his co-workers managed to do their work properly.

Smiling at the trio of beasts, he attempted pleasantries with them and his tail twitched in annoyance when Riolu launched into a passionate quizzing session. How did Green control his fire? The youngster demanded and how did he manage not to burn anything he touched? The collection of beasts collectively inhaled and stepped back when Charmander accidentally swung his tail forward and burnt one of their curiosities whilst smiling. "My bad," Green droned unapologetically and sent them scampering out of the store while wearing his inane smile.

Pansear guffawed and drummed his fists on the marble counter in delight and Oak smirked.

Strike one to him.

By early afternoon, Green rushed to Vespiquen's eatery, when he barreled inside the honeycomb patterned establishment, the regular patrons spared him a glance and wisely moved out of the way. Tail flame flaring, he slammed money on the counter and breathlessly asked for a fruit sandwich. Tossing a thanks over his shoulder, Oak hurtled towards the guild. He remembered the evening meeting. Hurriedly greeting Manectric who acknowledged him with lamp-like eyes, he pushed the heavy teakwood doors aside and entered the meeting chamber. Unable to hide the pleasure of seeing his best friend, Charmander simply tossed his half eaten sandwich at Red's beaming face and skulked towards him whilst the latter wiped peaches, slices of strawberries and cream. Minutes later, he lolled on the floor, listening to Gothitelle's bewitching tones and snapped out of hypnotization only when Absol barked at them. Currently, he paced in the library, tracing claws over thick spines and desperately trying to stop the tremble wracking his body. Water. His mind mercilessly taunted. The bane of fire. Whilst sand and rock harmed him effectively, Charmander harbored an irrational fear of water. One he did not understand. By all means, Red must be absolutely terrified of fire and yet, he constantly played with flames. Green imagined the bulbasaur quipping nonsense about being a fighter and he deflated.

He envied Red's strength.

Sitting in a carpet of books, the dragonoid strategized; it consisted of avoiding water at all costs, swallowing his pride and asking for help when he needed it. Oak glowered at his neat handwriting spilling over sheets and understood that not only did the dungeons throw horrors at you, they also magnified the sins you were guilty of. Charmander curled. Pride. His heart snickered. _Pride is my shroud_ , his mind sang and he rolled into a ball.

He was not going to let pride get in the way.

* * *

Tossing another packet of bread on the granite island rooted in the middle of the kitchen, Red continued cupboard pilfering, climbing on the sink, he swept his vines in every nook and cranny. Several cupboard doors swung open and he neglected them in his quest for delicious jam. In the midst of unloading his newest prize, he froze when Layla swaggered in and her gaze predatorily landed on the table, she gestured to the mountain of chocolates and asked why he bought so many. "There was a sale at the mart and I decided to buy them in bulk, you can have them all if you want." Bulbasaur's smile faded when Layla professed her hatred of chocolate, glaring at the little boxes, he waited for a couple more minutes, one vine frozen in mid-air and curled around a bottle of honey. Anytime now, Absol will snarl a derogatory comment. Astonishingly, she refrained from barking anything rude and instead, packed the things amassed on the table. "You aren't gonna yell at me?" Red asked and she ignored him. Typical. Exhaling in relief, he resumed ransacking and exchanged idle chatter. Blank faced, Layla robotically replied to his questions, a certain tension in her movements.

Backs weighed by a myriad of packages, the duo closed the gate and floundered towards the guild. Absol bounded forward, pausing every few moments for Red. Crawling and panting under the combined weight of his bulb and a bulging sack, he fretted when the sun sunk beneath the horizon and put on an extra burst of speed. During the evening, the guild was a sight to behold. Burnt orange sunlight bounced off its flat rooftops and the great doors swung open. Teams and members spilled into the street, some wore scarves whilst pendants or accessories jangled from other pokemon bodies. Tattoos rippled across hide and muscle, but the most remarkable features were the crests. These brands and badges grouped the masses into organized teams. Evolved pokemon fanned on the paths, bearing scars and lost teeth. Beasts squinted through one eye and monsters used body art to hide gross disfigurements. Voices clogged the air and spoke of stories; rescues and retrievals for those unable to proceed in a dungeon. The lumbering creatures muttered about harvesting exclusive materials such as gems of sableye, which fetched a mighty price at the black market, or spheres of precious metal salvaged from the trials of Greed. Enamored by the rapturous tales, Red listened, admiring the teams and their jobs. He wondered if he could create a Team, although, Wiggly mentioned that teams needed at least three members. A customary glance at Layla turned his insides to jelly, Absol glared at the pokemon leaving the guild, willing them to walk faster and clear the entrance, Bulbasaur briefly contemplated on having her on his imagined team.

And wilted. Stream poured from his head.

They found Green and Melody waiting for them in the meeting hall next to the foyer. White concentric circles decorated the stone floor and symbols, reminiscent of the Unown, filled the spaces between one ring and the next. Gothitelle telepathically drew in the last sphere and dissolved the last bit of chalk into fine powder. It fell in the center of the sigil. Turning towards them, she explained, "Teleporting over long distances requires much power and this sigil," she pointed to the diagram on the floor, "acts as a medium. It also functions as a safety measure because I don't want to accidentally warp you inside the dungeon without an arm or a leg." The three nodded eagerly, almost as if they looked forward to tackling Pride's dungeon without an arm, as long as Gothitelle was around to encourage them. "Be very careful," she sternly warned. "Adulari, the master of Pride, is the oldest ghost in Gehenna. It was the first creature chosen to oversee the trial and till today, the serpent stands. Pride, as you know, forces us to think we are better than others and in turn, you scoff and refuse help. Do not do this. The three of you must work together and conquer the dungeon understand?" The trio nodded carefully this time; the urgency in Melody's voice overrode its mesmerizing quality. "Step into the circle and prepare yourself. Long distance teleportation feels unpleasant." The trial goers scurried into their positions and assumed a triangular formation on top of the circles. The astral body pokemon pressed her hands and concentrated. The rings on the floor glowed.

Space compressed and expanded blindingly fast. A tiny tear burgeoned in the room and swallowed the beasts and rings whole.

They vanished seamlessly and the psychic opened her eyes. Exhaling slowly, she turned to see the door open and a steelix slid through. "You okay?" He gruffly asked and stared at the empty space. "Come on Mel, we don't have time. Wiggly is currently arguing with Tamen; we have two casualties in the forest leading to Sloth and since no one goes there, it's up to us to do the rescuing." Gothitelle nodded and followed the steel snake, as she left; she looked back once more and uttered a prayer for their wellbeing.

Evening

Gehenna

Dungeon of Pride

Unpleasant was an understatement.

Long distance teleportation can be used as a torture device; Red mused and weakly splayed on the frigid floor.

When the rings glowed, it felt like a steamroller ran over him. Each and every cell screamed in pain and became vacuous. Airy. Seconds after being pulped, his body stretched, expanding and bursting at the seams. Bulbasaur opened his mouth to shriek and in an instant, reality collapsed, he bounced through a wormhole and landed quite painfully next to a similar sigil, albeit, this one shimmered in rust and yellow. The color reminded him of dried blood and molten gold spilled together to weave the involuted symbol on the floor. A blustery wind howled outside the confines of the dungeon and he stared.

Adulari's trial was breathtakingly beautiful.

Through the semitransparent sheets making up the palace, the trio sat spellbound and peered outside. A dungeon in the clouds. A sea of white foam covered them; a gale whipped the foam into shape. Clouds poured and rolled around the gargantuan columnar building, tethered to stone frames. Collectively, they glanced upwards and Red gasped.

Kanto reflected in the heavens.

Or maybe he gawked at Johto.

A range of craggy mountains gave way to sprawling forests, Green's eyes swept over the miniature rooftops of homes and laboratories, it skipped over quiet streets and lattices of metal. He did not recognize the place the gazed at, but it stole his breath away. Somewhere above, the brilliantly blue sky mirrored oceans and islands. Luxury cruises sailed upside down and humans, bedecked in finery, milled on the polished wooden deck. Trainers mounted on flying pokemon, soared over craters and mountains, clutching pokeballs and entering gyms. He saw them all and a hollow expanded in his chest. Gehenna disclosed images of the surface universe and he turned around to see his companions sitting in spellbound silence and craning their necks, frantically snatching the chance to gaze at the scenery to their hearts' content. Oak noticed Red's skin, the light blue-green matured into a dark turquoise and his bulb grained a rosy tinge. On the other side, Layla screwed her face in confusion as her amber eyes snapped across the mapped sky; he wondered what she saw, did all of them see the exact same things or?

Absol blinked in bewilderment, the image before her reflected towering pagodas, golden spires and mountains to the east. The scene shifted to show horizon breaking metropoles, blocks of chrome, glass and bricks. A city that never sleeps. Huge buildings with satellite dishes, stretches of cycling roads and bridges suspended over water. They made no sense. She tried to recall where she saw them, the pagodas with its blue and silver roofs seemed familiar, however, she failed to recall. In front of her lay a mess of cities and towns, idyllic villages clung on the outskirts, pushed out by the big cities. Tearing her gaze from the heavens, she padded to the colorless walls and experimentally touched them, her paw sizzled and hissing, she drew it away, licking the benumbing sensation. Thick, blackish ice formed the walls, and they provided a magnificent view of the exterior. The inside of the dungeon felt coffin cold and she shivered on the marble tiled floor. Green shook uncontrollably and grabbed his tail for warmth whilst Red, eyes locked to the sky, remained oblivious to everything around him. Layla barked at them, the two monsters jolted and sluggishly followed her out of the basement.

The first floor's temperature dropped further and the ground crunched with a brittle layer of frost. Pillars of ice supported a bowed ceiling. Charmander and Layla searched in the shadowy crevices for the trial marker poem and Red, forgetting what they looked for, searched with them; he bypassed a line of text, hidden behind a parapet and admired the grooves cut into pellucid columns. Green ambled behind one of them and the seed monster chortled at his distorted reflection. He recoiled when Absol bared her teeth through a pillar. The disaster pokemon's jaws were a sight to behold under normal circumstances, but when viewed through a distorted magnification, they became the product of nightmares. Feet crushing delicate ice, he joined Oak and wandered aimlessly till he remembered the line of text and pointed to it.

Charmander's tail ignited, the flame burned furiously and Red quipped that they won't have trouble keeping warm.

'Stripped of flesh, forced to atone.'

The trio pored over the words. Layla searched frantically for other lines but found none, only a single sentence mocked them from high ground. "Maybe this dungeon has a single sentence for a trial marker instead of a poem?" Green suggested and she shook her head vigorously. "How can you be so sure? I mean, this dungeon is completely different to the last one," he said and studied the surroundings.

Layla faced him, worry churning in her irises. "There are a few things all the dungeons have in common." She intoned and paced the floor, sweeping the vast chamber with a searching gaze. "First, all of them have a trial marker poem, not a couplet or a sentence, a poem." She paused and carefully regarded the verse etched on the wall. "Secondly, ghosts cannot die, unless...I'm not really sure how it works, but there are rumors that ghosts and Trial bosses can be killed and replaced." Absol frowned thoughtfully and Green mirrored her expression. "Thirdly, all of them impart some sort of advice when defeated, if they don't, the trial is not over and you must fight them till they croak. That is why, I'm worried, dungeons change over time, the bosses are sometimes illogical and some of them do everything in their power to make the trials difficult."

"It is their job to punish us."

"Well yes..." The disaster pokemon eyed Charmander dourly. "Let's split up and search for the others." She gestured to the area; mossy walls receded into darkness. "Write down the sentences exactly as it appears and we will compare each other's notes once we convene." She read the line again, eyes dropping to the four scale impressions underneath the sentence. The trio separated and Green watched his friends vanish. Layla dissolved into a puddle of shadows and sneaked out of sight whilst Red purposefully strolled away, the cavernous room swallowing him whole. Alone, Oak grasped his tail and shuddered, a part of him wanted to go after Red; instead, he squared his shoulders and set off to explore.

Outside the outer walls, the clouds swirled like milk white mounds. Creeping past translucent columns, Charmander peered into a shadowed hall. Diluted sunlight filtered through the clouds and bounced on the inner walls. He melted the ice on the floor and stream wreathed his body. Through a partition, Green discovered a little platform, no more than a square meter, fascinated by the whorls of metal and the minuscule gyarados busts placed around the platform, he climbed on to it and studied the center depression. The bronze dish contained a shallow amount of water and he dipped his claw. Nothing happened. Climbing off the stage, Oak circled it. Ferns, frost and moss caked the platform's edges and losing interest, he resumed his hunt for the trial marker poem. Behind him, the water in the bronze depression rippled and an empoleon emerged soundlessly. Predator scanned prey. Oak, scampering over the floor and removing loose tiles, sensed a presence. It screamed danger. He slowly straightened. The clunk of metal feet hit the tiles softly. A grating noise issued from the floor, like a meat cleaver dragged across rough stone.

Green whipped around and nearly fainted from fright.

He came face to chest with an empoleon twice his size. The emperor beast examined him with eyes half hidden by its three pronged crest. A flash of gold tugged Green's attention to three hooked claws concealed beneath spade-like fins. He backed away, tail thrashing desperately and the blur of flames caught empoleon's attention. Gulping audibly, Green dove when the water type lunged for his tail. Scampering to the side, he made a break for the middle part of the room, alas; a hail of water gun rained from above and catered the path in front of him. Weaving between deadly bullets of water, the dragonoid belted an ember and a flame thrower in rapid succession. A measly douse of water reduced them to a screen of steam. Empoleon torpedoed and slashed, the gleaming wing tip cut into Oak's chest and he sunk his saw teeth into the monster's armored wing. Howling in rage, it flung Charmander into the air and he somersaulted, landing on all fours. Snorting a smoke screen, he fled. Angrily cutting through the sulphurous smoke, Empoleon blitzed after the orange blur running on the floor. Green swallowed clammy air as he hurtled, satchel and tail bobbing, he screamed for Red.

"Red!" He yelled and rolled to the side when an icicle soared out of nowhere. Asking for help? His mind sneered and he ignored it. "Layla! I need help. I've got an empoleon on my tail, literally, and as much as I hate to admit it, this thing is out of my league." Fire scattered around his jaws and he bit the steel penguin when it drew close. A kick sent Green rocketing through the space and despite landing with a sickening splat and coughing up blood and liquid fire, he was glad for the distance. Gathering his bag, Oak set off again. Seconds later, the enemy caught up and pounded on his tail. Shrieking, Charmander gingerly held his tail and tottered, drunkenly evading the beast lunging for his tail. Mind addled by agony, he groggily watched a razor sharp fin cut across his arms. An arc of vermillion sprayed the walls. A glint of metal descended blindingly fast. It grew close and large. Cold, metallic blue.

And empoleon's momentum stopped.

Weakened by relief, Green crashed to the ground. Numerous vines coiled around the thrashing penguin and dragged it backwards. Metal dented. Slicing the restraints did not work. Leaves bloomed on the vines, swelling as the empoleon shriveled. Tail wagging in sadistic satisfaction, Charmander watched the proud beast crumpling. It wailed horrendously and burst in a puff of light blue smoke. Red raced over, worry etched on his face and demanded, "What happened?" Whilst Green simply grinned, glad to see his idiotic friend for once. "I was busy writing down a line when suddenly I heard you screaming for me. For a moment, I chalked it up to my imagination because no way in Mew's name is the great Green Oak gonna ask for my help." Charmander twitched and listened to his companion's rambling explanation, "Then, I decided to check on you because I felt worried and I ran across that monstrosity." Red offered an Oran berry to his friend who refused it. "Where did that empoleon come from? It didn't appear out of thin air did it?" Bulbasaur puzzled and absentmindedly glanced at his notes. "That reminds me, I found three more lines of the poem and they were all in weird areas. I detected one of them on a pillar. I couldn't see the transparent writing so I trailed my vine across it and traced the words. Adulari is darn crafty, imagine I missed that." Green half listened and switched his attention to more pressing matters. The empoleon...How did it... "Are you listening to me?" The plant type clamored "Let's stick together from now, I don't want you falling sick on m-"

"I figured it out." The fire type cut into Bulbasaur's words.

"Figured what out? That you are no match for a single empoleon?" Red crudely joked and His laugher morphed into a hacking cough when Green swung his tail.

Snatching a sheet of paper and a stick of coal, Oak sketched an outline of the platform he glimpsed earlier. "This palace most likely contains summoning stages," he began.

"Huh? Like those gates that allow you to summon monsters and stuff from the other world?" Bulbasaur queried, skepticism written on his face. "What is this? Some type of video game?"

The lizard glared at him. "If you could let me finish..." Red nodded and gestured to the paper before Green hacked a fireball. "At the back of this hall, there is a metallic stage thing that contains water. It is decorated by statuettes. I believe those things spew enemies." Bulbasaur asked why the ghosts couldn't simply form in mid-air. "They can't," Oak responded. "All the dungeons have rules and they are bound to them. So as long as we are in an area devoid of those summoning portals, we should be somewhat safe."

Absol, horn tingling, careened through the room and skidded to a stop, the grass and fire pair, clamped up at the wild glint in her eyes. "Heard Green screaming," she clarified and licked her fur to hide embarrassment and concern. "...Thought it was an auditory illusion because it's Green and he never, ever asks for help." Red agreed with her whole heartedly. "Then I heard an ominous wail and I came over. Thank goodness the two of you are safe." Bulbasaur tilted his head, a grin inching across his lips and she snapped at him. "Well, how many lines have you got? I found three more and I think one of them is the first or last line, since it has no scale markings." Red held up his sheet and Green's tail dropped. "Let's compare them, I searched thoroughly but I failed to find new sentences." Sitting on the damp ground, the trio examined the jumble of words and pondered over them.

'Stripped of flesh, forced to atone.' Contained four scale markings

'Why, are the signs not clear?' Had no markings

'Where is your glory?' three whorls and a few dots lay underneath this expression. Red commented on Layla's cute handwriting and received a snarl in return.

'This is a well versed allegory' Three cowry shells hung beneath this sentence.

'What is left of it but decaying bones?' Six ganoid scales were above this one, the diamond shapes over lapped each other.

'Now hold it high, your rotting corpse.' Red announced that he found seven prisms etched on the block holding this particular sentence.

'Alas for sinners, it falls to a deaf ear.' Two feathers decorated each side of the expression.

Individually, they made no sense.

"Let's put them in order of their numbers." Green suggested and carefully tore the paper into scraps; he lined them together and read it aloud:

"Why, are the signs not clear?

Alas for sinners, it falls to a deaf ear.

This is a well versed allegory

Stripped of flesh, forced to atone

Where is your glory?

What is left of it but decaying bones?

Now hold it high, your rotting corpse."

A silence engulfed them. Outside, the wind growled louder and the chill in the room became sharper.

"Uh...I don't know about you guys but the poem still makes no sense to me." Red gingerly cracked the oppressive silence.

"..." Layla and Green wordlessly agreed.

"How about we reverse the order in which the lines are read?" Layla offered, "Maybe number seven is supposed to be read first?" Hastily they rearranged the verses and read:

Now hold it high, your rotting corpse.

What is left of it but decaying bones?

Where is your glory?

Stripped of flesh, forced to atone

This is a well versed allegory

Alas for sinners, it falls to a deaf ear

Why? Are the signs not clear?

Collectively, they inwardly agreed this poem made much more sense.

Straightening, Layla read the words over and over again. How ironic. The oldest ghost in Gehenna fashions a poem reminding them about mortality. As usual, Red appeared utterly confused, tilting his head this way and that and reading the poem from several different angles. Meanwhile, Green nodded sagely to himself. His leathery skin, like Bulbasaur's hide, turned a shade darker, from orange brown to an angry red. A tiny bump surfaced on his head and he rubbed on it absent mindedly. "Basically this Adulari dude is reminding us that Pride means nothing when we are dead." Red wriggled his vines and contemplated his position. "I'm a bulbasaur who can't control more than six vines at any given time and I'm so slow, it infuriates even me. My skin is green, I taste like lemongrass and I sweat toxins." He paused, "Yep, my iota of pride disintegrated the moment those nobles beheaded me."

Green bristled at his nonchalant statement; he did not want to be reminded of how those Ransei nobles sneered at him as he died.

"Adulari is a female." Layla clarified through clenched teeth. "Dear Giratina, didn't you study up on her? Like I mentioned before, she is the oldest ghost in Gehenna, the manifestation of pride and..." Absol sighed and broke off when Red pouted. "At times, I wonder if you have a death wish. This is the second time you stumbled in a dungeon and twice you offended the Trial leaders." Bulbasaur quipped about Eres being a creepy madman who filled his wooden baby cave-thing with crystals, collared female slave ghosts and haunting baby laughter. "They have weird tastes, but you must not disrespect them. Great harm will befall you if you treat these trials as a joke," she warned and shook her head. The conch shells wreathed on her horn rattled against each other and whilst the duo conducted an argument, Green snatched the shreds of paper and stuffed them in his bag. He eyed them, Red calmly chewed on a leaf and Layla figuratively chewed him. Checking his supplies, Charmander turned tail, lifted his head and stalked in the vague direction of the second floor.

Half listening to Layla as she lectured him about the Dungeon of Pride and its hazards, Red swiveled to see Green heading off. Happily bouncing after the retreating lizard Bulbasaur called and Oak marched faster, tail blazing, arms swinging and leaving steaming foot prints on the floor. In the background, Absol rolled her eyes, already expecting things to go downhill. Reluctantly she followed the duo, keeping a sharp eye on her surroundings. Dashing to Green, Red fell in step with the fire type and blinked when the latter raced ahead of him. When enquired about his odd behavior, Oak whirled and glowered at the duo.

"I'm going in alone." He hissed and glared at Red who abruptly halted in his tracks. "You are a pathetic bulbasaur who struggles to toss out a razor leaf and thus, you'll only slow me down. Keep your distance; I don't want to burn you." Legs trembling uncontrollably, Bulbasaur slumped to the floor, eyes wide in disbelief. Oak hissed some more, spat fire to prove a point then lifted his chin and wheeled to the front.

He ignored Red's pleadings and apologies. They rung like broken records.

Head held high, Green Oak marched on.

* * *

 **A/N:** Much thanks to all those who read and reviewed; and feedback is always appreciated. At Jack54311: I'm happy you finally caught up and reviewed :) And yeah, after that glaring error, I crashed, wondering why no one pointed it out yet. But Miracle eye (I think?) allows psychic moves to hit a dark type isn't it? Nope, Layla isn't the one who killed Eres, he's ancient. And she's completed three trials before the beginning of the story. At Setriel: Thank you always for your continued support :)

Questions are welcome if anyone has any and chocolate cake to all.


	8. We are rarely proud when we are alone

**We are rarely proud when we are alone**

A massive crowd gathered in the grimy square. Faded flags fluttered on crumbling poles and people buzzed angrily. Opposite them, two stone towers vied for dominance, an open balcony, draped with tapestries depicting the glorious Palkia, spanned between the domiciles. A trumpet fanfare cut through the midday heat and the gathering held their breath when a finely dressed female strode on the balustrade. The people gazed upon their princess. Legends wove tall tales of the luscious curves of her cheeks and her alluring eyes. Blue tourmaline. They agreed. Her irises shone like the raw gemstones mined on the outskirts of the kingdom. Her skin lacked the alabaster quality of queens gone by, yet, the subjects agreed that she was far more beautiful than her predecessors.

They chanted her with name with glee. War broke in the country, living conditions plummeted but the rousing speeches doled by the crown prince and princess; lifted their spirits. Waving daintily, she spoke of mercy and iron will. The courtyard thundered and people shouted praise. Hope bled in their eyes and they whispered promises of better times. All Hail the Princess, they humbly knelt despite the unforgiving sun beating their backs.

Princess Adulari smiled tightly and wrinkled her nose at the mass of dirt stained faces as they grinned at her. Peasants. Thank goodness she stood on a separate stage above them. Adulari shuddered at their clothing, threadbare sacks held together by patches. What good was a kingdom of poverty stricken rag-tags? Squeezed on the outer perimeter of the courtyard, she spied half naked children peering at her with admiration and curiosity whilst hanging on their mothers. The courtyard shimmered in the heat and the crowd's sweaty odor wafted upwards. Pressing a handkerchief to her nose, she tiredly waved and seethed, waiting for the herds to disperse. Her husband leaned over the banister, listening to the pleas of a random stranger and she bit down the urge to bark at him. Royalty and commoners must not mix. The prince grabbed a fist full of gold coins and tossed them into the square. Pandemonium ensured. People rushed back and fell over the glittering pieces whilst thanking the prince and princess for their generosity. Clenching teeth, Adulari endured the heat for five more minutes before spinning around and disappearing into the shaded interior of the castle. Exhaling and depositing her handkerchief to a waiting maid, she strode through opulent halls and stopped at an indoor pool. Writhing in crystalline waters, a milotic gazed at her disinterestedly and she crooned in delight.

Many fishermen sacrificed their lives for the legendary sea serpent; Adulari thanked them and waltzed away. She ordered the construction of a bronze pool whilst the trawlers grumbled behind her back and demanded adequate pay to keep their businesses afloat. Two weeks later, a public trial convened in the square and the guillotine fell on a squad of anglers. Sitting on a raised platform and watching with mock sympathy dripping off rouged cheeks, Adulari bade the fishermen no mercy. Mercy did not exist for those defying authority! The prince shook his head sadly, slandering the princess consort and attempting to steal her majestic pet was a grave crime. Tipping his hat, the prince vowed to enact stricter measures in place. The giant blade flashed in late evening sun. Fresh streams of blood decorated the execution's platform and Adulari, pearly gloves pressed against her mouth, vacated the area.

The kingdom plunged into destitution.

Soldiers were conscripted. _For the glory of the region._ They shouted and headed to death. Meanwhile the wives and children stayed behind, misty eyed and resentful, they sold their finery to provide necessities. Despite the crippling situation, princess Adulari donned more gold on her neck and wore dresses made of silks imported from the oriental states of Kanto-Johto; she dined on fresh fruit and meat whilst her subjects scrabbled for a slice of dry bread. Once a week, she and the prince delivered heartfelt speeches, but more woman than men attended them. And they directed their disdain at the newly crowned queen. The Queen wore altaria's feathers and donned a veil, refusing to let commoners see her face. Rumors spread like wild fire. The king urged her to cut down on spending, but his pleas fell on deaf ears. A carriage, pulled by periwinkle flamed rapidash, carted Adulari to the next kingdom so she could socialize. The other royals astounded her with their regalia and embarrassed, she slunk back home, vowing to stand above them all. Castle towers eroded; however the builders perished in their hunt for dragonair pearls. A new necklace of dragon jewels lay on her collarbone and people cried foul. The peasants demanded her pearls and she slaughtered them in the middle of the night.

Adulari hired loyal guards to watch over her and her pet milotic. The prism scales the tender pokemon possessed, made for exquisite jewelry. She gazed dolorously at the collapsing stone fortifications and wondered if she could persuade her husband to leave this Palkia forsaken place. Royalty of adjacent regions pitied her country and urged her to think of her kingdom. Adulari seethed. She did not want their false pity, she wanted respect and that she shall get.

A resistance brewed in the nation and she set her sights to violently squash it.

The public called it the Night of the Blood Moon.

Streets reeked of copper and all those affiliated with the rebels were unanimously put to death. Her people feared her and Adulari reveled in their fearful worship. For several days, slaves scrubbed the streets free from crimson stains and she watched them work, sunlight bouncing off her murkrow feather dress. Artists painted pictures and sang hymns to the queen whilst the moat around the castle dried and the drawbridge rotted.

The witch queen.

Derogatory comments passed from pursued lips. Blueprints of a new resistance seeped in the community. Their king was useless, a mere puppet dancing to Adulari's harmonies. The public argued and their goals varied. Some wanted food. Others opted for better living conditions. The ambitious ones fought for justice. In spite of the differing opinions, the resistance survived. Drunken merriment disguised late night meetings; dried bidoof fur and ancient parchment bore strategies and plans. Their first agenda: Capture Milotic and demand the Queen pay its weight in gold. Research showed that nothing rivaled the rare sea serpent's majestic beauty. Older men sadly compared the sea beast to their once beloved Princess Adulari.

Murmurings of a new resistance reached inside the castle's lofty corridors. The guards shifted, unwilling to produce another massacre. Inside the palace and sitting on a gold gilded platform surrounded by statues of mythical beasts, Adulari's ears twitched and whispers of betrayal ghosted over her ears. She regarded her criminally unfaithful castle guards with renewed disdain and set off to weed out traitors. Unfortunately, a new distraction swaggered into the dismal town.

She eyed the travelling merchant from her balustrade, newly decorated with hanging crystal tubs. The trader bowed politely to her, olive skin rippling over muscles. Already, the kingdom buzzed with rumors. The merchant, hair ringlets the color of honey, meandered through town, providing entertainment and help. Adulari boiled at the nonchalant man who preferred to go around bare chested. A pair of rusting, metal armlets screamed over his biceps when he hefted large baskets or swung the young children in the courtyard. He carried nothing of value, aside from the mamoswine tusks which she had no interest in. Once, her husband left for business and thinking of a new slave to grace her Babylonian palace, she invited the trader to join her for lunch and to her utter delight, he arrived, wearing a dragon hide sleeveless tunic spangled with colorful scales. She lifted her veil but the merchant failed to comment on her beauty. His rough accent was music to her ears and she listened whilst he regaled stories of his home region in the far off Alola. When she invited him to become an elite member of the castle guards, he politely refused.

"Please excuse me; your people are starving and you..." He gestured to the palace. "Use them to fuel yourself. Remember, they are human, just like you." The trader quietly asserted and rose. He studied the silver goblet in his hands and left the table.

Words failed to describe the mortification coursing through her veins. But preserving, she smiled demurely when he stared at her with eyes like unprocessed amber. Each time she invited him, he refused and instead, whiled his time away, wearing a shredded sheet and screaming with the local children. Months lapsed and he plotted for home, however, the guards barred the gates and left with no choice, he remained in the decaying kingdom.

The traveller could not be hers.

And he could not belong to anyone else. Certainly not to the peasant girl he eagerly orbited every single day.

The Queen simmered. How dare he prefer a measly sub-human over a beautiful ruler?

When an assassin brought the merchant's head to her in the dead of the night, she carried the ceramic platter to a lighted balcony whilst her husband snored heartily. She ran her fingers through thick ringlets of russet hair and traced his cold, sun kissed skin. Then, she tossed his head in the square.

The next morning, Adulari woke to the screams of distraught people.

Their beloved travelling trader was murdered by the Queen! They angrily demanded justice but the King placated them with empty words and promises.

Brainless merchant. Adulari often thought about him and cursed her weakness.

She was a deity and deities do not worry about mortals.

Events plunged for the worst. Adulari schemed to escape her crumbling kingdom. The town resembled a desert hamlet, dusty and dry. Life and water were squeezed from the residents and outskirts. Trade hit an all-time low and neighboring regions tried their luck someplace else. No new jewelry hung on the Queen and her lavish costumes fell to pieces. No longer did her subjects praise or fear her and they walked with heads held high. In her presence. The resistance morphed into a military-esque organization, smuggling weapons and necessities from other countries. Tethered pokemon milled alongside humans, young sand dragons and soft armored penguins grew side by side. Fire monsters helped in the kitchens and forges, baking pies or creating weapons. Inside a deteriorating kingdom, a town survived. Adulari fought for power which slipped through her hands like water. Her temples pulsed angrily when her once struggling subjects passed the eroding castle without acknowledging its existence. They were still poor, but newfound hope shone through begrimed faces. Gaining momentum and approval, the rebels patrolled the square, carrying serrated swords and leashed gabite. Unsupervised prinplup honed their fins on the stone bricks of the King's quarters. Posters fluttered, mocking royal families and urging the public to grab their futures.

And undeterred, the Queen oppressively milked her nation.

The people had enough.

Mumbles of an execution reached Adulari. The whispers cut deep. She trembled in exasperation but knew her slipping hold of the kingdom could not prevent the disaster foretold. Instead of cowering and begging for mercy like her husband, she preferred to dine on extravagant food and wear awe inspiring costumes. The Queen shamelessly caroused, rubbing shoulders with elite nobles hailing from outside regions. The resistance frothed. And she smiled whilst they built a glorified guillotine in the square. The dying rays of the sun reflected off a scarlet, haxorus tusk blade. Day by day, the peasants assembled the device on to a raised, colorful stage. Her heart hammered in fear but she refused to feed their mockery.

An eclipse shadowed the sun.

And the subjects agreed to behead their Queen on this day.

It must a sign from Palkia; they agreed, a hint of pride lacing their voice.

Their desire to break free from the dictatorial princess, finally came to fruition.

When the soldiers of the resistance stormed her castle, Queen Adulari raised an eyebrow at their smoldering forms and ordered them to wait outside. Rosy cheeks no longer glowed with former beauty, but, she applied rouge, put on lipstick and wore her exquisite pieces. Pearls and golden necklaces choked her neck. The hem a gossamer gown glided over the floor and she marched, head held high. Gems threaded her ebony shock of hair and none helped her up the execution's platform. The crowd swallowed and held their breath. Some prayed with closed eyes, others hawkishly watched her every move. Slowly, deliberately, she stepped on the varnished dais, shoes clicking faintly on the floor. Her husband blubbered incoherently and her face twisted. Sweeping towards the guillotine, she clenched her hands at the sight of its weights and pulleys. A guard forced Adulari into the restraining assembly, two boards of wood snapped snugly over her neck. Shouts of glee erupted from the viewer's gallery and they hatefully chanted her name. The Queen sneered. The angled blade descended, flashing fire red as it deflected the last light.

A deafening cheer rocked the Kingdom's old walls.

* * *

Night

Gehenna

Pride's Dungeon

Green's words stung.

No...They hurt.

Red halted, disbelief marring saurian features. He spied telltale signs of arrogance; Charmander swaggered away, overconfidence leeching from every step. Instead of following, Bulbasaur looked left and right, in a desperate attempt to mitigate the shock worming into his heart. Legs trembling, he crashed to the ground when the last of Green's orange halo disappeared into the darkness. Exhaling, he told himself that the trial is messing with his best friend's head and after they defeat Adulari, Charmander will return to normal.

He knew this and yet...

The pain of being called a pathetic creature gnawed on him. Yes, Red wholeheartedly agreed, he was responsible for Green's untimely demise and for bumbling through the afterlife as a purposeless bulbasaur. Deep down, he wondered if Charmander's words held a silver of truth; perhaps, Green resented him for everything? The cold floor bit into Bulbasaur's skin, layering a physical burn atop his emotional one. Mechanically, his observed the never ending gale raging outside translucent walls. Behind him, Layla grilled her gaze on his motionless form and his head rested on the frigid surface. A thin layer of rime shackled him. Paralyzed him. However, nothing compared to the agony of Green's words. Red inhaled and waited for Absol to leave, alas, she settled and he gnashed his teeth angrily.

"Are you going to lay there and allow him to stomp all over you?" Layla demanded harshly. No, he listened; an undercurrent of sympathy laced her words. But maybe he imagined it?

Pushing himself up, Bulbasaur winced. Ice weakened him, much like fire and bugs. He hated bugs. Stretching, he snapped his vines free of icy crystals and plodded in the direction of Green's disappearance. Ignoring Absol's snort, he reassured, "I'll be fine if its water, so you can take the route you prefer. I'm sure it must be tiring to tail us all the time." Gracing him with an odd look, she smoothly sunk in the shadows and Bulbasaur paused. "Well...Didn't need to persuade her to leave me," he chuckled bitterly. Irritation welled inside him and he glared at the empty hallway. Green, stupid prick, could slog through the levels all by himself. Breathing heavily, Red pompously stepped on a different course. The columnar dungeon will take him in circles and he could flounder his way to the top. Bonus points if Green and Layla clonked out Pride's ghost before he got there. Popping an Oran berry in his mouth, Red ambled, preferring to stare at the elaborate dungeon rather than complete it. Columns of etched stone supported a triple height ceiling and canals of water formed the streets. A memory surfaced, somehow, the channels looked familiar. Smiling to himself, Bulbasaur absorbed the breathtaking architecture. Boldly, he crept to the edge of the narrowing platform and jumped. The crystal clear water lapped refreshingly against his bud and he sighed blissfully.

Swimming revitalized him. The tributaries poured into a central sea dotted with a few islands. Climbing one, Red balked at a summoning stage. It was eerily similar to the one Green described, with one exception; tiny empoleon statues surrounded the convoluted framework of metal. Smirking, he waited for an enemy to materialize and the platform did not disappoint. In minutes, a swanna and a swablu emerged, the swan dove into the water whilst the blue chick eyed the grass type distastefully. Both birds ignored the budded threat, too preoccupied in their respective preening. When Red climbed on the dais to coax out another challenger, the ghosts turned on him. A flap of cottony wings sent him soaring in the sea, swanna sliced through the water, stabbed him with a sharp beak and he bit down a scream.

The ghosts circled him, one in the air and another through water. Bulbasaur bobbed and unerringly, a vine snaked around swablu's talons and slammed it on a rocky outcrop. The bird's head repeatedly collided against rock till it screamed and puffed into baby blue smoke. Still bouncing, Red launched himself to dry land, using vines to maneuver. Swanna took to the air, beating its white plumed wings heavily. Wind chopped the seas and cut gorges into stone whilst Red dodged the air slashes. A bullet seed sailed through the air and swanna ducked, the moment it did so, it tangled into a net of vines. Razor leaves reduced it to smoke.

Unfortunately, the euphoria of victory did not sustain him for long.

Scaling the islands yielded disappointing results. Red often sat on the summon stages and glared at them, willing for empoleon or even better, Kyogre to emerge. The lord of the sea will make a fitting opponent. With each enemy conquered, his head swelled. Vines sliced wings, hollow bone and downy feathers. Rarely, the stage spat an empoleon or a gyarados and here, his bud tingled in anticipation. Gloating, he spilled acid when his bulb tore; gyarados' roars produced tidal waves so high; they blotted the cavernous ceiling. Rooting his tendrils on rocky platforms, Red let the water wash over him, strangely, some of the evolved ghosts left items behind. After a particularly bloody battle with an enraged gyarados, he was curious to see if the rumors of it leaving ruins in its wake were true; Bulbasaur eventually defeated it in a grueling match. The sea serpent ruptured from the inside as it prepared a hyper beam. The pillar of light collapsed in its mouth and it convulsed, twitching and falling into the vast body of water. Gyarados' underbelly ripped open, glittering, gunmetal blue smoke spilled in the water and a leech seed wriggled amongst fading intestines. Satisfied by his growing repertoire of skills, Red turned and paused when a scale floated on the sea, scooping it up, he stowed it in his bag.

Will Green find the scale fascinating? Maybe he can thread a vine through it and wear it like a pendant?

Red exhaled. He needed to find his best friend and quickly.

Frigid tempests and ice cold water made a formidable combination. Bulbasaur shivered and flakes of ice formed over his bumpy skin, he wrapped a net of vines over himself. Too late, he realized that Green held the dungeon map and the unfamiliar surroundings confused him. Eyeing the island situated in the middle of the pool, he saw gyarados statues around a summon stage, Red frowned, he was pretty sure he passed this place an hour ago. Stomach growling, he wolfed an apple and blindly stumbled, the dungeon led him through a series of suspiciously dry ground, devoid of specter evoking platforms. Light footsteps thundered through an alcoved corridor. His senses warned him to go opposite and instead, he forged on, sure of this route. The tunnels darkened and silver tubs, displaying exotic vegetation, dangled from a lofty ceiling. Red climbed one of the shimmering tubs and examined the foliage. They appeared harmless and with the elevated moisture in the air, they thrived despite not being watered. He rolled playfully in the greenery, briefly forgetting about his predicament. Some of the plants spilled over their exquisite containers and others contained colorful flowers. Red picked a few, ate a few and stuffed several more in his back. Green and Layla will be happy after he weaved personalized flower garlands for them.

Hopefully.

Dismal darkness seeped from the damp walls and utterly lost, Red wondered if he would end up rotting in Pride's dungeon. Green will not come for him, not with his bloated ego and Absol...was unpredictable. Humming a ditty to keep him from screaming obscenities, he spread a net of vines across the ground and used them to grope forward. The darkness closed on him akin to a living being and blinded, Red gasped for breath, the humidity made it difficult to breath and he wanted to give up and let the ice claim him. Steeling himself, he spied a feeble light in the distance.

Red rocketed to the fickle flames. To light. He must bask in it. More candles, their orange fire a watered down version of the roaring inferno constantly blazing on Charmander's tail, guided him in a room tucked to the very depths of the dungeon. Plastering a smile, he entered the chamber.

An old Keckleon, holding a staff topped with a purple orb, lisped a greeting.

Comforting warmth perfused the shop and Red examined the wares. He only possessed enough money for one article, the camouflage pokemon sadly offered and Bulbasaur picked up a gem-like object. "Excellent choice young one," the shopkeeper croaked, "unless you are a flying type, escaping the dungeon of Pride is impossible without teleportation, or in your case, a teleporting orb. I've seen lots of eager trial goers defeat the witch serpent and aimlessly stumble in its extravagant passages. They have no means of escape, eventually, some other soul rescues them." Red asked the owner if he had any maps. "Of course," Keckleon replied and pointed his staff at a pile of yellowed parchment. "I have everything in this shop, from food and gems to technical machines!" the reptile answered proudly. "Not that those technical machines will do you any good in here, you need a projector to watch those things, a psychic pokemon could read the disc and teach them to you but I found their methods to be disagreeable." Half listening to the rambling old monster and grateful for the heat, Red pawed through the maps.

"Are these maps accurate?" Bulbasaur enquired, Keckleon rasped a chortle which rubbed Red the wrong way.

"My, my child..." it wheezed, "Seems like you are not as dumb as I thought."

Midnight

Gehenna

Dungeon of Pride

The water tinged in a variety of powdered blue and Layla collected the dropped bounty. Scales of gyarados and trident crests from empoleon. Out of all the loot, swablu offered the most valuable item, cotton-like down, great for carpets, weaves and luxurious bags. Hunting them all, she pulled to dry land and shook excess water off her snow white coat. Beams of white light penetrated through the outer walls and dismally lit up the interior, Absol squinted at the water, wondering how on earth lava bodied pokemon were supposed complete the trial, surely there must be other means of transportation? Though these trials were harsh, they were not impassible. Her mind briefly flickered to her companions and she sighed.

A tiny part of her worried about them.

However, she quashed that feeling.

It was sensible not to travel with someone who would slow her down.

Narrow platforms, only a brick thick, lined the circular corridors and rivers. Layla frowned at the strap-like landings, considered her weight and jumped, slicing through the air and landing on the next island. Another ornate summoning stage greeted her and with a mighty roar, she demolished the center dish of water. The golden whorls of metal leeched color and rusted. Gulping in a lungful of breath, she splashed into the water when no other land popped in her vision and swam. A swift current whisked her to another part of the dungeon and several times, Layla fought against the wild waves, one crest submerged her underwater and she gasped for breath, paddling furiously and praying to end somewhere safe. Bubbles trailed from her mouth and she tumbled in a subaquatic duct. A few somersaults later, she surfaced, inhaling sweet air into burning lungs. Small trees and plants grew on an isle and she noted a shelter. Swimming to land, she dug out a ration of food and ate, losing all sense of time. Periodically, an agonizing pain wracked her horn and she exhaled tiredly. Hackles raised, she prowled to the shelter and swiped the rotting door apart. Eyes dilating to the dim interior, she examined suspiciously dust free shelves and boxes. Tall brackets loomed on either side of her, filled with metal curios, large, semi-precious stones and tiny saplings. Near the back, she pawed a half-finished summoning stage, tools and implements lay near the ornate platform.

A chisel, next to a marble bust of swanna, and gold paint.

The paint was liquid and wet.

Near the entrance of the shack, Layla's ears swiveled when she heard a crash, fur fluffing, she whipped to the source of the noise to investigate.

A little green boat, half caught in the light trickling through the slats in the walls, mocked her. Absol stared. A boat?

Her lips stretched into a wry grin. Of course. How could she forget about the boats? Chest swelling in triumph, she dragged the tiny transportation to the beach and frowned, it would only fit one monster at best. Leaving her boat on the caramel sands, she trudged back to the dilapidated building and searched. The shack coughed up large lily pads, wooden masts, a type of sail cloth woven from swanna feathers and paddles of all shapes and sizes. Scrutinizing the materials, Absol scowled, she possessed a fair amount of skills however, raft building was not part of them. The two lily pads bobbed on water and she jumped, for a dangerous minute, she wobbled for balance on the leaf and on failing to drown, deemed the leaves good enough for sailing. Bundling the boats near the back of the shack, she hacked the local vegetation and used them for camouflage. Marking the place with a stone, she stared at the vast sea and re-planned her route. Her mouth curled angrily. The first step would be to find her flat mates and most possibly rescue them from whatever problems they embroiled themselves into. Lips pulled back over ivory teeth, Layla neglected the tangle of conch shells and gemstones wreathing her horn and instead, dove into the water.

She will never get used to the paralyzing cold; the deep clawed her, called her and dragged her down to a watery grave.

* * *

 _Should've listened to Red._

"Shut up!" Green hissed to himself and admired the dungeon's cavernous ceiling He raised his head to meet a pair of enraged, bulbous and worse still; he focused on the bigger concern. A gyarados clamped one of his legs and Oak dangled upside down as a retinue of hostile creatures glowered at him. Fortunately, dry land leered at him from far below and he stared at his satchel, a smudge of green canvas amongst dirt and ferns; his belongings scattered amongst soil and stones. Charmander could not feel his left leg and any movement induced a wave of nauseating pain. Vermillion blood dripped slowly over his leg and dried. Gyarados' jaw crunched through his leg bone and the world flashed to black, then white and it refocused as a mess of colors. Twitching, Green's tail emitted a steady wisp of steam and he hung like a puppet. Charmander ignored the pain in his leg and strategized a way out of the serpent's jaws. He sneezed a smoke screen and an acrid cloud filled the air. Swinging forward, he stabbed flame cloaked paws into gyarados' eyes and the serpent shrieked angrily. It flung Green away and he sailed through the air, landing with smack near the edge of the island. Rising, he awkwardly angled his leg back into place and wiped sweat from his skin; gyarados roared and the walls rained dust. Thrashing blindly, it dove for Oak and he hustled out of the way, breaking tree branches and collecting them. Charmander ignited the sticks whilst the other specters watched, clear amusement on their faces. The sea serpent coiled, meters of rippling muscle underneath shiny scales, and with jaws wide open, lunged for the stout dragon.

Green growled and stabbed the gyarados with his bundle of burning branches. He screwed the makeshift stake into the beast's soft gullet and metallic blue powder wafted in his eyes. The atrocious pokemon moaned. A ghastly wail of disappointment. When it faded, Oak puffed his chest, dusted his hands and turned around to dozens of sneering eyes. An empoleon waddled forward, beak face screwed into the barest hint of a smirk. Spitting fire, Green charged with a flame cloaked fist. In a disorientated mess, he found himself on the ground, bleeding, bruised and sporting deep cuts on his tail, coughing, he attempted to cover the area in a smoke screen, alas, the emperor pokemon clamped his mouth shut. Oak swallowed the sulphurous cloud and it burnt the back of his throat, shuddering on the floor, he slipped from the penguin's claws and gasped when a swanna rammed into him.

A gust hefted him airborne, and the flying types bounced him with precise jets of pressurized air. Green collided with brightly colored pillars. His spine cracked and repaired in two places and his wounded leg felt like an alien appendage.

Sailing through the air, he bit a swablu wing and ripped it off. The bird tweeted and pummeled him to the ground; seizing hold of the bird Green gleefully dug his saw teeth into its skinny neck, gnawing till it emitted a satisfying snap.

Swablu dissolved into smoke.

Breathing heavily, he picked at a trickle of viscid blood trailing into his right eye and collapsed. Slowly and deliberately, a pair of empoleon and swanna stalked to him; the armored beast casting a long shadow. It hooked metallic claws underneath Green's chin and snapped the lizard's face up.

The two glowered at each other full a full minute, neither of them willing to break eye contact and admit a loss. Empoleon let the orange beast's head drop and fatigued beyond comprehension, Green's head lolled to his chest.

In the next second, the water type slugged Oak and he rocketed outwards, wondering if his head detached from his body. He felt fuzzy, confused and cold. Everything tinged blue and sluggishly, he realized that he landed underwater. Frantically he swam upwards, tail flame flickering and growing weak. On breaking the surface, empoleon grasped his head and forced it back underwater.

Or would have if Absol did not bite its spade hand off. A solar beam cut a swathe through the monsters and treading water, Green watched the lurid pillar of light destroy everything in its of path. The ghosts cried a warning and fled, some of them headed to the water and others flapped for the ceiling. None escaped. Climbing on the island, Oak wearily gathered his supplies and munched on an apple whilst palls of multicolored smoke fizzled in the area. Red plopped next to him whilst Layla fixed him with a glare.

"Well?" she demanded after half an hour of awkward silence. "Aren't you going to thank us for saving you?"

Green eyed her. "I don't remember asking for help," he droned and returned to scooping jam with his claws.

Absol's amber eyes bugged in disbelief. "I saved you from drowning to death and this is what I get?" she raged, "listen up, you better start acting responsibly, the three of us will make to the boss area, defeat Adulari and-"

"I prefer going alone, or did you not hear me the first time?"

Layla bristled, "Are you crazy? Just how much of a megalomaniac are you? Look at you!" she seethed, tail thrashing side to side. "You are covered in bruises, you have a broken leg, YOU can hardly WALK! What makes you think you have a chance of defeating the trial boss in your current condition?" She bore down on Green but instead of shrinking in her presence, he drew himself to his full height, the top of his bumpy head rested right under her chin. Turning to Red, who flinched under her venomous gaze, she barked, "Red, you better convince that stupid dragon kid to come with us or else I am leaving. I am not going to keep up with a snotty moron who thinks the world revolves around him."

"And I don't need a bossy, untamed, half-wit who scares everyone into submission," Green growled and mockingly smirked when she faced him.

"Should I add another scar to your face Oak?" Layla bared her teeth. "I'm sure a gouge underneath your eye will complement your jade irises perfectly. Or perhaps I should tear your jugular vein in half?" To her left, Red whimpered. "Your dragon hide will fetch a nice price on the black market."

Charmander dropped to all fours and clawed the earth furiously. How dare she taunt him! Quickly, Red stepped between them and Oak reached up to lash his friend to the side. "Green, Layla..." Bulbasaur smoothly dodged the blow. "Look, let's work together alright?" Ruby irises inspected the charmander and dipped in sympathy and pain. "Green, you look terrible...listen, Layla found a way to cross the water without having to swim through it." he pointed to a lily pad swaying to rhythmic waves. "Let's finish this trial and head home, you are injured so let me take care of you ok-" Shouldering Bulbasaur aside, Oak examined the leaf and hopped on, he paddled with his bare hands and moved away. "Hey, where are you..." Red broke off, trailing after the disappearing fire type and Absol shouted at him.

"Where do you think you are going?" she queried incredulously as the plant type boarded his leaf and tailed after the speck of a charmander. "Arceus...Are you crazy too? Green made it clear, he does not want our help, leave him to his devices, we can get him after we are done." But Red frenziedly sailed after Green and with no choice, she jumped into her boat and propelled after them.

Dawn

Gehenna

Dungeon of Pride

The disaster foretold by Gothitelle did not occur the way Red imagined it. After a series of harrowing quarrels and a fight between Layla and Green (Bulbasaur did not want to think about it, just imagining what Absol was capable of when antagonized, made his bud wither) the duo separated. Red, tired of their constant squabbles, rallied them together. Sporting a crisscross of claw marks on his face, Green marched one way and Layla resolutely took the route opposite. They arrived at a crossroad; a channel of water emptied both ways to a sprawl of more waterways and Red watched from an elevated ledge as his friends screamed at each other yet again.

"You bestial woman!" Green, his high pitched voice a mere squeak when it reached Red, raved.

Layla ignored him and opted to unfurl the map. Oak jumped on his boat and sailed to the right. Absol climbed in her vehicle and veered to the left.

Red exhaled and chewed on a leaf. The watery landscape stretched endlessly and he waited for the duo to complete a rotation before the currents deposited them back to the central isle. Charmander, bleeding from a dozen of slow healing wounds, furiously paddled in a circle, he huffed and reluctantly allowed the water to sweep him to his starting point. Layla fared better. She disappeared for a long time and Bulbasaur used the opportunity to nap. When he woke, the light falling inside the dungeon became brighter and Green silently dusted crumbs off his scarred skin. Layla, sitting under the shade of a low growing palm tree, meticulously inked a new route on the map. Ambling towards her, Red noticed several shortcuts, a winding path and a direct route to the throne room, he pressed Absol for details and she pointed to a single line amongst the tangles covering the page. "I searched high and low, this seems to be the easiest way..." she paused and when a shadow fell over them. Green studied the map, a thoughtful frown on his face. Nodding to himself, he whipped around and gathered his supplies. Gingerly approaching him, Red determined to travel together but Oak vehemently refused.

"No." Glittering green eyes speared into Bulbasaur. "You either follow me, or go with that woman." Green stood tall. "I am not tailing behind the likes of you." Mechanically, Red faced Layla as she snarled.

"I am not going anywhere with that egotistical whelp unless he co-operates with me." She flexed her claws and Red shuffled backwards in mild fright. "The dragon kid better screw his head on straight or I won't save his useless hide if Adulari makes a popsicle out of him."

Hearing Layla hash a slew of derogatory nicknames, Green adjusted his surprisingly accurate map and graced his companions with a haughty look. Bobbing on the water, he vanished over a bend and Absol stopped barking. She glowered at Red who tiredly packed his provisions and untied his boat. The dark beast demanded where he went and the plant type paused. "Did he ever tell you how he died?" When Layla shook her head, Bulbasaur continued, "He...Was beheaded." Red pawed the ground; the loose sand shifted easily and swirled in the never ending gale gusting through the dungeon. "You are looking at his murderer"

"…You?" Absol cocked an eyebrow. "Pardon me, you look like you won't be able to harm a combee, much less kill someone."

Red ignored her. "Let's follow him okay? He tolerates all my nonsense and I'm willing to do the same. Once we finish this dungeon, I promise, we won't bother you any longer." The shadow of defeat churned in his eyes and Layla swallowed a sarcastic remark, she reluctantly nodded and Red flashed her a brilliant smile. "Excellent, thank you for your help, now we just have to make sure Green has the wits to go through the direct route.

Wishful thinking, the Lord of the Underworld sneered.

Charmander led them through the most turbulent areas. Tufts of black clouds formed beneath the domed ceiling and Red sent a panicked glance to his friends. The duo simultaneously snubbed him. Tiny wisps coagulated into a thundercloud and a loud clap echoed across the vast room. The icy panes of the outer walls rattled. A light drizzle morphed into a wrathful deluge and rain poured in blinding sheets. Fearing for his companion's life, Red leashed his lily pad with Oak's and the sea tossed them like weightless balls. Lightning struck, splitting the small islands and charring a tree. Shunning Bulbasaur's numerous warnings to mind his footing, Green slipped and observed palpable fear on Red's face. The seed monster yelled, his inconspicuous words drowned by the storm. An icy, liquid grip embraced Green and he folded beneath the waves. Above the grey waters, Bulbasaur hopped uselessly and screamed. He dove in the water, wrestled against the choppy waves and extracted a limp Green from the bowels of the sea. Charmander snorted, shoved Red aside and pompously paddled harder; he sliced the vines crawling over him but the persistent plant type never exhausted his supply. Bulbasaur constant fretted over Green and his concern infuriated the charmander.

The storm calmed and the sea stilled into mirror of water. Rowing peacefully, Green witnessed Red gorging on Oran berries and chocolate. He glared at the provisions, willing them to combust. His intense concentration shattered when the grass type gesticulated wildly to an object and sputtered heatedly. Not wanting to let anyone steal his thunder, Charmander refocused his glare to the thing on the raised platforms. "Guys, am I seeing things are all of you seeing the same thing as I am?" Red warbled and lifted a vine to point at a gyarados leering them from a platform. Thick ice encased the lower part of the serpents body whilst the upper part thrashed, from its momentum; Bulbasaur surmised a few seconds before the beast broke free. Crash. The ice splintered and the trio froze. "...I don't see any summoning stages so...Holy Zapdos." Red's voice quivered when an empoleon cleaved its ice fetters in half. "Now we have to fight half frozen enemies on display?" He glanced worriedly at Layla who commanded a strategic retreat. A peek at Green, brandishing chipped claws, told Red that he had other plans up his sleeve. "I like battling, I really do, but right now, my common sense is telling me I should run...Green."

"No!" Charmander cannoned in the air and Layla roared so loudly, Green's nonexistent hairs stood on end. He raised a flaming fist. Gyarados dipped to the ground, preparing to smash into him. Instead of clobbering the atrocious pokemon, a network of thin vines looped around Charmander's waist and yanked him backwards. A bunch of razor edged leaves forced gyarados to retreat and after tying Green up, Red propelled as fast as he could and fled with Oak's heated curses gracing his ears.

* * *

Mid-afternoon

Dungeon of Pride

Throne room

They ended in a gargantuan, water filled hall.

And the room appeared to lack a ceiling.

A bank of puffy, white clouds floated above them. But what lay beyond the clouds?

Mesmerized into silence, the three inspected every nook and cranny of the opulent room. Ice statues wreathed twelve pillars standing along the perimeter. Gold leafed pot plants dangled from the walls, the green foliage adding to the luxurious atmosphere. A wide platform, tiled in colorful mosaic, displayed an odd ice sculpture. Bent, twisted statues coiled over each other and formed a gigantic pillar stretching towards the sky. As Layla neared the piece of questionable art, her lip curled distastefully.

The ice statues depicted humans, their forms woven to a single column bearing a monumental throne. The base of the royal chair was barely visible amongst the haze of clouds. Green arrived at the same conclusion, normally, they would discuss plans together but the dragon stalked off. Behind her, Red crouched near a wall, gasping at the intricate depictions of a princess and her subjects. The royal female held the power over life and death and the citizens worshipped her. Colorful tiles painted the princess as a fair skinned maiden, her beauty unrivalled. Surveying the area, Layla treaded in the opposite direction taken by Green. They needed to break cloud cover to reach Adulari, but Absol saw no means of getting up there. Smooth walls, devoid of platforms and paw holds, circled the chamber. Loose bricks hid no surprises, nor could she exploit hidden switches or warp tiles. Charmander, tired from his futile hunt, grudgingly joined Red to admire the pictograph whist Layla persisted in her searching. She sniffed, tasted the air, clawed on each suspicious brick till her obsidian claws dulled. Shuddering at the detail of the statues, she spied a solid tear drop on a frozen adolescent's face, Absol padded back to the duo. The frozen man's vacuous expression drilled into her, mouth open.

"Red," she barked, "can you get up there?" She jerked her face to the cloudy bank. "Adulari's throne is near the ceiling somewhere, I'm sure of it." Layla nodded. "Get up there and see if you can haul us up."

For once Green did not spit. Red searched the fathomless heavens and grinned crookedly. "Of course I can get up there no problem, there are a lot of beams I can hook my vines into." He wriggled his shoots assuredly, "I'll be able to ferry Green since he is around my weight, but you..." The plant monster broke off.

"Are you implying something?" She hissed and pressed her face against his.

"Of course not!" Bulbasaur backpedaled and sent Charmander an SOS signal. Green, disinterested at the imminent threat to Red's life, calmly licked his claws. "You are very pretty!" Red blathered and quaked as another spark of fury dotted Absol's amber irises. "W-wait, you are awesome...Yes, awesome, I'm sure there isn't another Absol alive on this universe who is as friendly and wonderful as you are."

"..." Layla presented him one last glare and irritably flicked her tail to the ceiling.

 _Get moving_. She silently commanded.

High above the fringe of clouds, Adulari interestedly beheld a trio of struggling creatures. A bulbasaur, pale pink bulb slicked in sweat, grunted, swore and reeled his companions upwards. Several times, the weedy tendrils snapped, nonetheless, it painstakingly toiled and she watched, the agony on its face stirring primal sadism. Uncoiling from her frosty throne, she rose to get a better view of her new victims. Tourmaline irises fell on a charmander, his vermillion dragon skin a pleasant sight for her eyes. The lizard stalked and faced upwards and she smiled at his beady, verdant irises. Such a beautiful color, she gleefully cackled and settled on her thrown of frozen pokemon. As bulbasaur reeled in the last member, a dour faced dark type, Adulari scowled; the female absol lacked feminine grace. Absol tumbled on the decorative podium, whirled on the poor bulbasaur and proceeded to scream at the quivering beast for a solid minute. Adulari shifted, a serpent poised to strike, she waited for the Absol to finish its ranting.

When the last snarl erupted from ivory teeth, Adulari exploded from the ornate enmesh of her throne and descended on her prey. Green perked at the sight of an impossibly beautiful serpent and shoved Layla out of the way before dodge rolling and digging his claw on the scaly hide of the milotic. The serpent hissed as the prism scales fluttered to the floor, sweeping backwards, she glided past a solar beam and fired a hydro pump to disperse a barrage of shadow balls. The spray of water splashed on the trial goers and they irritably shook themselves dry. Charmander growled obscene threats and prowled to her.

"I commend you for getting this far." Adulari rested in a pool dotting the airborne platform. "Perhaps your friends helped you through this delirious dungeon?" she taunted, the corners of her lips lifting in a mocking smile when Charmander spat a volley of fire. His embers petered in the face of a light drizzle. "I like you," Milotic sneered and tossed her head backwards, "I'm sure you will make a wonderful addition to my army of prideful beasts." Green's gaze snapped to the multitude of petrified beasts coiled together into a throne. The high backed nightmare of a chair disgusted him. Claws and teeth igniting, he roared like a wild beast and viciously clawed on Adulari's patterned tail. The trial master shrieked in pain and indignation. Seizing the chance, Red and Layla attacked. An energy ball snapped into the hollow of her neck and Layla scythed her with a night slash.

A noble woman's haughty laughter echoed from the throne and the trio stared at her.

"How dare you filthy creatures lay your hands on me!" she thundered, icy voice rumbling in the walls. "Do you know who I am?"

"An old hag trying to look pretty." Green answered and smirked. Despite the dire circumstances, Red dissolved into a fit of chortles and Layla coughed to disguise giggles.

Gaze morphing to poison, Adulari's throat gurgled and her mouth opened, ejecting a column of pressurized water which punched the breath out of Oak's chest. The horizontal deluge forced him backwards and Red frantically helped, keeping the downpour at bay. Alas, Milotic dropped to the platform and personally whacked the grass type with her tail. Dazed, Bulbasaur stumbled and strangled himself. Meanwhile, Green shivered, tail smoking and head hung low. Arcane fear churned in the pit of his stomach when snowy flakes climbed over his skin and arms, forming an ice coffin. Limbs stiffened slowly, ominously. Walking was impossible and a vice grip wrung air from his lungs. Frost licked his throat and tongue. It covered his eyes. Green blinked painfully behind a sheet of crystal white.

 _Someone...Please help me._

A plea unheard by others.

"?" Red jolted out of his comatose state when Layla fell on him. Wriggling from underneath a swathe of matted fur, he gaped at the frozen charmander. "GREEN!" Bulbasaur pounded on the cold coffin, eyes swiveling to the extinguished flame. Mouth opening and closing akin to a clueless feebas, Red rotated to a smug Adulari. "You froze him?" he queried stupidly. "You froze my best friend?" The trial leader merely leered victoriously. Red looked back at the frozen charmander and whipped the ice. Quivering, he unleashed a petal blizzard, a storm of razor sharp leaves cut into the sculpture but it simply reformed. Trembling, he commanded, "Free, Green!" his voice vacillated with each word. "FREE him or I'll rip your intestines out!"

Layla had no idea the bumbling Bulbasaur was capable of such violence.

He single handedly annihilated Milotic.

Shockingly, it did not take him long.

Screeching vengeance, Red, delving into hyper growth, fell on Milotic; a bunch of vines erupted from his bulb and snared Adulari. He pulled the furious serpent closer and at point blank range, tossed another petal blizzard. The dungeon master shrieked and writhed, fuchsia smoke bled from her cuts. She retaliated with a bite, chomping on Red's bulb and he spewed acid. Half of her melted and promptly reformed. Not done, Bulbasaur prized her maw apart and aimed a solar beam to her gullet. Adulari screamed and tore the vines constricting her. Red let the solar beam rip into her soft throat and a dazzling column of light cleaved the tender pokemon in half.

He smirked cruelly before spinning around to fret over his still frozen companion.

Several moments later, Adulari reformed but warily stayed on her throne, refusing to come down. The ice around Green shattered and he fell, grasping his chest and gasping. Red, instead of listening to the wisdom doled by the ghost, gently poked Charmander with his vines. The dragon moaned and curled, holding his tail between his paws and blowing softly on it. Smiling weakly at the intense worry rimming Bulbasaur's irises, he answered a barrage of questions. "I'm feeling really weak," Green confessed and balled up. "I'm cold as well..." he paused. "I apologize for being a prick...Thanks for helping me." Red shook his head and tore large leaves from his back.

"No problem. Stop talking now," Bulbasaur gently ordered. "I'll bundle you up and get you home, so don't wriggle too much okay?" Green nodded and closed his eyes; Red exhaled softly and scooped the cold charmander in his tendrils.

Layla listened intently at Adulari's words, snorting at the contradictory nature of the ghosts and their imparted wisdom. According to the serpent, the proud always looked down on things and people; and, of course, as long as one looked down, one can never see something above them. Absol barked a laugh and turned on the arrogant specter. Slung in a makeshift basket, Green pouted adorably from his nest of leaves and a soft smile graced her lips. The dragon kid sent her an apologetic glance and shifted, this prompted Red to yell at him to stay still. Whipping out a teleporting sphere, Bulbasaur tossed an empty jam jar at Adulari and held the jewel aloft, Layla yelped a warning.

Too late.

They landed on a vast plain of unbroken ice. A range of frost capped mountains broke the horizon with jagged peaks. Tired, hungry and worried about a drowsy Green, Red looked left and right and finally settled for staring inquisitively at a thoroughly displeased Layla. The teleporting gem in his vine sparked and shattered into silvers of cyan crystal. He grinned sheepishly at her.

"So Sparks...Where in Regice's good name are we?"

* * *

 **A/N:** Poor Green, he let his ego crush his head. That being said, read and review people! I want to hear what you think. As always, much gratitude to all those who give the story a read, dark chocolate to you all. :)

At Jack54311: The next time I write, I'll think of you when I'm doing research. Thanks for pointing out those glaring errors.

That reminds me, I finished my only slab and is thus searching for a new purpose in life.

 **Disclaimer:**

Title: Voltire


	9. Through a sniper scope

**Through a sniper scope**

 _Where am I?_

The room blurred into focus. Slowly. Layla stared at the cuts lacing her thighs and peered at the surroundings. Typical. The space she came too contained four cameras, a low wooden table with a recording device whilst a bare bulb hung over her head. Thick rope leashed her to a spindly, metallic chair and she valiantly struggled against an oppressive brace clamped around her throat. Thrashing cut new welts into hazelnut skin and she face planted on the floor. Crawling towards the entrance, an unbreakable barrier of frosted glass; she inhaled deeply and spun, ramming her chair into the door. Each pounding of metal on glass rattled the teeth in her skull, and she bit her lip into a swollen mess. Undeterred by pain, she pounded, the legs and the headrest of the chair broke and the seat stuck to her body. With a sweet crash, the first layer of the glass broke and the second layer splintered, spider web cracks distorting her reflection. Picking up a piece of jagged glass, she cut her bindings and wrestled with the neck brace. The brace failed to disengage and she weighed the discarded chair legs, using them to rain blows on the remaining, pockmarked sheet of glass. The entrance whined open and the iron rods found their target in two armed men. One gasped and fell and she grabbed the other lifeless body.

A hail of bullets greeted her after she stepped out of confinement. Layla grabbed hold of her corpse shield, crouching behind it and scrutinizing the room. The spacious chamber contained an ash grey carpet riddled with bullet shells and holes, the smell of gunpowder and cigarette smoke hung in the air. Office desks, computers and pot plants shattered, showering chips of wood, silicone and shards of earth. The deafening gunfire stopped and Layla wiped traces of blood from her face, her shield disintegrated into scraps of cloth, bone and contused skin. Armed personnel stepped backwards, wary of her and another man, clothed in a suit and wearing the pompous air of a leader, stepped forward. Her golden irises dipped to the revolver tucked at his waist and the man chuckled.

He moved closer and she inched back, arms protectively crossed over her chest. "You live up to your name as an Ace Trainer," he praised warmly, "no doubt we will be very happy if you swopped your alliance to us. I am sure the Johto government is not paying you enough for your services eh?" The man grinned self-assuredly and pushed his glasses up. His words sickened her, this was the second time the Silph Company kidnapped her and she did not appreciate the invitation. "I admit, our business ventures can be rather...Illegal, but I assure you, my boss will pay you hand-some...l...y." Layla shot from her place and drove a knee into his solar plexus. Stepping back, she swerved to the side and kicked him, her foot caught in the hollow of his neck and the bone snapped satisfyingly. The guards turned to her. Quickly, she grabbed the pistol from the executive's holster and buried two bullets in the groaning man's chest, twirling it; she aimed the smoking weapon at the nearest soldier.

They meekly handed her pokemon belt. Pocketing the pistol and some nifty gadgets she swiped from the facility, the Ace Trainer left, jumping from the helipad and summoning her skarmory before plummeting to her death.

Tender fingers skirted over the scars lining her chocolate skin and her fiancé murmured, admonitions for her brazen ways. Layla's amber eyes softened and she missed his caresses when he moved behind the counter, rinsed a porcelain cup in the sink and ranted about a normal life. But no! His Layla happened to be an Ace Trainer in service of Johto's intelligence department and he, a home executive, waited anxiously for the authorities to tell him about her untimely demise. Running a hand through auburn hair, he huffed and shuffled in the immaculate kitchen, waving his arms and wiping them on his apron. Placing a piping hot sandwich on a plate, he plopped on the counter with an adorable pout and crammed a piece of toasted bread in his mouth. "So who or what kidnapped you this time?" her fiancé asked, rose tinted eyes trailing the bruises on Layla's slender neck.

"The Silph Company," she replied, toyed with her braids and flashed a set of pearly whites when he frowned. "Don't worry Abel, I put down one of their executives so they should stop coming for me." Abel made an odd, rumbling noise, something between a defeated sigh and a concerned groan. "I am heading to Kanto next week," Layla informed him and his face twisted further. "Team Rocket acted up again and some kid trainer is caught in their shenanigans." The man raised a disbelieving eyebrow, a kid? "Yeah," she answered his unasked question. "Apparently this child is competing for the league and got sidetracked along the way. His name is censored. Anyway, I have orders to gather intelligence on Team Rocket, it's rumored their headquarters is in Kanto." Layla eyed the half-eaten sandwich and Abel slid the plate over the granite countertop. A bark issued from her bedroom and she turned to see her Absol jumping on the living room couch, it promptly buried ivory fangs in its favorite stuffed toy. "I'll stay in Kanto for around two weeks and-"

The man's eyes hardened. "No." Abel placed his hands flat on the counter and leaned closer. "Sweet heart, you will not go to Kanto and put your life in danger again," he whispered against her cheek. "Please, just give up this assassination job of yours and do something more..." He drew back and frowned, trying to explain himself. "Do something more...Friendly. I absolutely hate it when you come home with bruises and broken bones and I loathe that dead look in your eyes each time you scrub your hands raw in the basin!"

From the leather sofa, Absol growled, studying the humans. The man resumed his quick pacing and nervously picked at his apron, pale skin flushed angrily. "Abel, this is my work, okay?" Layla quietly asserted. "Someone... has to do these things, no matter how abhorred. Besides, I am proud of what I do." Abel stopped pacing and looked at her, lips pressed into a thin line. "And I shall continue to offer my services to Johto's government till I retire."

Layla never retired.

She received missions all over the world. Her work took her as far as Kalos and alone, she sat on a bench and admired the Prism tower, resplendent in the evening sun. Scarred hands fumbled over each other, desperately wishing for Abel to calmly take her hands in his; laugh softly and smile in a way that made her melt.

The situation at home degraded. Abel hardly spoke and occupied himself with watching television and keeping the house spotlessly clean. Layla, her life dictated by her superior, a cynical old man whose frail form possessed hidden strength; routinely woke up and cleaned all her weapons with her fiancé's disapproving glare trained on the sniper scope she revered. After breakfast, she curled on the velvet carpet and memorized her targets' locations, mannerisms and habits; this was followed by lunch and a strict exercise regimen to keep fit. At night, Abel and Absol's snores winded together, sneaking under the study's closed door. A fire crackled in the hearth and she shunned these simple pleasures to retreat in a stark room full of weapons, white walls and steel. Here, she practiced killing with minimal blood spillage and messes. Her department repeatedly told her that they will not tolerate any mishaps during a mission. Layla's arms ached but she ignored the pain and pummeled her sand bag with bare fists till they bled.

 _What am I doing?_

Soft snores emanated from the sleeping man next to her. Wide awake, Layla stared at the ceiling, ears strained for suspicious sounds in the house. She bolted up when the silk curtains, draping the windows, billowed. Her eyes narrowed predatorily when wood creaked and whipping around, she observed the sleepy form of Abel. He lazily lit the bedside lamp. Scratching his stubble, he pushed the duvet, slowly sat up in bed and groggily eyed Layla who scrutinized him wordlessly. "Can't sleep honey?" he asked and she nodded miserably, shoulders sagging. Sighing, he wound his arms around her. Layla stiffened for a moment before thawing into his affectionate embrace and breathing deeply. Abel smelled of spices and warm bread and she held tighter, grateful for his presence. "Layla," his gentle voice lulled her to sleep, "why...Don't you retire?" Her eyes snapped open and she drowned in the intensity of his crimson gaze. "You look different." He hugged her fiercely, fingers tracing the scars on her back. "I hardly recognize you anymore." her fiancé whispered and buried his face in the crook of her neck.

A manila envelope lay teasingly on top of her superior's mahogany desk. The boss droned monotonously and briefed her on the protocols of a new mission. Team Rocket finally made their move in Johto and the authorities suspect a network of supporters in the upper echelons of society. Bowing, she grabbed the envelope and tore it open, resolving to go home and get to work. A pokeball on her belt wriggled and irritated, she glanced at the capsule before her attention snapped back to the documents in her hands.

Absol forcibly tumbled from an ultra-ball and fixated its stormy eyes at Layla's petrified form.

The world around her faded into nothingness.

On the first page, a mug-shot of Abel stared back at her. Dark, cold and absolutely ruthless. That skew smirk on his face did not belong there.

"Those are top secret orders, Layla." She inhaled sharply, her senior's bland tone squeezed color back to her gray surroundings and she instinctively spun around. "I hope you do not forget your duty, we are counting on you to eliminate those targets." He held her gaze, making sure she understood her responsibility.

Layla saluted. "Yes sir!" And pressed her lips to prevent them from trembling.

The Silph Company headquarters, a skyscraper dwarfing all other buildings around it, rose in the middle of Saffron City. A joint team consisting of Ace Trainers from both Kanto and Johto, crammed in a helicopter and Layla impatiently pulled her shorts and thrust guns in holsters. She hefted a sniper rifle, pride flared in her as she fiddled with the scope and the scintilla of emotion melted into despair. Golden roofs and traditional houses glinted in the morning sun and the quiet hubbub in the vehicle drove her to an edge. After finding about Abel's involvement with Team Rocket, Layla did not have the courage to confront him. Every time she returned home and opened the door to her smiling fiancé, her legs quivered and she buried her suspicions behind a mask. Days flashed by and she grew miserable, stewing in poisonous thoughts and wallowing in anxieties. Abel often talked about Saffron City, a hub metropolis surrounded by woodland and teeming with yellow brick houses. The magnet train, which offered easy transportation to Goldenrod in Johto, was a favorite topic of his and he often dreamt about a holiday to the Sevii Islands. Unstrapping herself from the seat, Layla rose and peered through bullet proof windows. The Silph Company head office sported a flat rooftop and as the helicopter circled the gargantuan domicile, she gritted her teeth.

Abel never told her what he did in his spare time.

Her trained gaze zeroed on two individuals conversing on the concrete roof, one wore dark glasses, a tailored suit and stood ramrod straight with hypno tethered to a leash. Opposite the imposing man, another person, hands thrust in pockets of faded jeans, slouched and shook his head. Layla sighed; the thick shock of auburn hair gave Abel away. Exhaling softly, she demanded to be released and the Kanto natives stared at her incredulously. Her boss reluctantly nodded and without wasting a heartbeat, she jumped out of the flying vehicle amidst gasps of horror. The concrete ground rushed up, folding her body, she rolled on the ground to avoid crushing her legs, pulled out her gun and smoothly fired a shot at the Rocket executive. A dark red stain spread over his charcoal suit and he dropped dead; mouth open in a wordless gasp of surprise. The helicopter lowered and she pointed her gun at Abel's head. Ever the calm person, he studied the dead man and unhesitatingly held up his hands. Layla shuddered in rage, his face remained unapologetic and the sad, downward tilt of his lips infuriated her further.

"Sweet heart..." Abel softly called and she glared at him furiously. "This isn't what it looks like."

Behind her, the boss and a higher ranking member of the Kanto intelligence stepped out of the vehicle. A team of armed soldiers tore past Abel and stormed downstairs. Minutes later, gun shots and explosions ricocheted from deep within the building. Layla's arms ached from holding the gun still. Her entire body became rigid and beads of sweat collected on her face. Abel simply stared at her with his wine tinted irises. Pale face whiter than a ghost's.

"You lied to me." For a moment, Layla forgot about her superior and her work. "You...Told me you don't work..." Her gun wavered, the rifle on her back, weighed her down. "Do you know...How betrayed I felt when I found out you were one of Team Rocket's Four Executives?"

His eyes widened in astonishment and he shook his head. "They are lying to you!" Abel desperately pleaded and stepped forward. Layla fired a warning shot and the asphalt near his feet exploded into dust. "I was a former executive, the International Police caught me and I agreed to work for them in exchange for my freedom. I work as a spy." His accusatory eyes shifted slightly to the left and landed, no doubt, on her boss. "I work with the International Police. The Johto government is lying to you Layla," he repeated. "Don't listen to them."

She paused, suddenly unsure.

"Ace Trainer," her senior droned. "I believe there is a target standing right in front of you." A heavy pause. "We are running out of time." He tapped his foot impatiently.

There was still no sign of regret in Abel's face. He seemed so sure of himself.

So calm.

So infuriatingly calm.

The stillness on his rather pleasant face shattered when Layla squeezed the trigger. In a split second, she saw it, disbelief. Abel's mouth opened. Tears pooled at the edge of his eyes as his head flew back. A bullet smashed against his forehead, piercing bone and rocketing through his skull. He crumpled uselessly on the tarmac, chest stilling. Exhaling deeply, the assassin lowered her gun.

Goal accomplished. She spun around and saluted the higher ups, hot tears prickled her eyes and she blinked them away.

Her Absol climbed out of the vehicle and her heart drummed in an inexplicable fear. Absol, the disaster pokemon, regarded its owner with a placid gaze.

 _What?_

The world tilted sideways. Flecks of red dotted her vision of skewed buildings, glass windows and a grey roof. A starburst of blood erupted from her temple and a searing bolt of pain skewered her head. Layla gasped for air but air escaped her. She collapsed to the floor, unblinking and unmoving, her honeyed stare fixated accusingly on the smirking form of her superior and his smoking gun. He walked away. Grunting, she moved herself, it was like moving a ton of bricks. In the periphery of her vision, lay Abel, his arm outstretched. She tried to reach him, struggling valiantly till her surroundings folded into black.

* * *

Dawn

Gehenna

Park

A tiny plant squirmed and Red cleaned its leaves, whispering words of comfort. Despite his best efforts; the herb quivered violently and gave up on him. On either side of the sapling, Bulbasaur eyed his other works, sturdy shrubs bearing fruit and fragrant leaves, he beamed at them and they stood taller. A breeze blew through the emporium, carrying with it the fresh scent of morning dew; Red inhaled deeply and plastered a smile on his pockmarked maw. His smile slipped and mirroring the rapidly wilting plant, the leaves on his back curled. Shutting his eyes, he resolved to shake free from the vestiges of a nightmare he witnessed, this morning, he rushed to Green's room and heaved a sigh of relief on seeing him snoring comfortably in a burning heath.

Bulbasaur would never forget the look of utter shock on Charmander's face when the latter was frozen solid.

A rustle alerted him to the presence of Serperior, dropping his facade, Red spun around and helplessly shrugged at the regal pokemon. As usual, Cyng regarded the seed monster with emotionless eyes before shifting his gaze to the struggling plant. "Care to share your problems with me?" The grass snake murmured and Bulbasaur stepped to the side, allowing the serpent to tend to the ailing weed. "I have heard you and your friends tackled the Dungeon of Pride." A faraway look writhed in the beast's contemplative gaze before he refocused on the plant and wrapped a tender vine around it. Cyng methodically coaxed the sapling to grow and added, "You have matured." He pointed to the pinkish bulb and elongated fangs.

Voices swelled and dimmed, deep inside the greenhouse, plant types toiled; some pruned shrubs, others watered them whilst a team shipped the bigger trees around Treasure Town. Bulb itching, Red pawed a hollow in the earthen ground and planted himself. The first time he did this, Serperior walked in on him and internally panicking, Bulbasaur profusely apologized only to see an amused half smile on the serpent's lips. "After we completed Adulari's trial, my best friend, the charmander..." Cyng nodded and motioned for Red to continue. "He was frozen during our fight with Adulari and he is not recovering properly. I've tried getting medicine for him; he refuses to eat it since it's bitter so I slip it in his milk and berry juice… Green isn't getting any better, he sleeps in a fireplace but in the morning, his body is cold. He tells me he's doing fine however, I'm not blind and Layla isn't fooled either." Red huffed and poked holes in the ground. "Green stumbles when he walks." Cyng opened his mouth but the seed pokemon cut him off. "I know proper healing takes time but it's been weeks! I'm so stressed I can't do my work." He hysterically pointed to a row of half dead saplings. "I tried meditating but I keep on thinking about how we will fail our next trial and it... it scares me." Gritting his teeth, Red grumpily climbed out of the hollow and shook himself clean.

"Pride...Is a difficult beast to handle." Cyng nodded sagely, his collar rings jingled. "And it is a tougher beast to tame...I should know." He murmured and gazed blankly. "As far as I am concerned, you are doing rather excellent on the trials." Bulbasaur perked at the sudden praise and his bud gurgled. "I understand you are conflicted and yet, you faithfully do your duty. I sometimes wonder...Why our nonsensical actions led us here, though, there is no use complaining." The emerald locket on Serperior's neck gleamed dully and he reared to his full height whilst Red shrunk instinctively. "Hello Tamen, what brings you here at the greenhouse?" Cyng greeted and whipping around, Bulbasaur caught a glimpse of Umbreon, stalking inside with his perpetually mistrusting expression glued to his face. Elegantly sitting on the floor, he ignored the snake and proceeded to wash his face. "Red, I cannot help you because your friend is a fire type, therefore, I suggest you speak to Wigglytuff-" Umbreon hissed at the name, "the guild master will assist you better." Cyng concluded and the moonlight pokemon turned its glowing eyes on Bulbasaur as he scampered away. Umbreon sensed the regal pokemon's glare, if he did not respond soon enough, the serpent will paralyze him.

"I came back from patrolling the Beach of Evocation," Tamen droned and Cyng's glare softened. "What about you? Have you decided on what dungeon to conquer next?" Laying his head on his paws, Umbreon observed the regal beast tend to plants, for some reason, the sight calmed him. "I do not want you to become a fallen one." Cyng did not reply, instead, he quietly worked.

By mid-morning, Bulbasaur barreled through the guild gates, greeted his acquaintances milling in the guild vestibule and tried to snatch a glimpse of Melody through the meeting room's agape doors. The sight of evolved pokemon disappointed him severely. Zigzagging over cracked tiles, he grinned at Manectric's puffed fur and skewed glasses. The receptionist swallowed a yawn and Red felt sorry for him. He enquired about Wiggly and Manectric directed him to the Team Emblem living quarters on the fourth floor. Resolve renewed, Red tore upstairs, pinning his hopes on the pink blob, he skidded to a halt before a set of wide, sliding doors. Prying them open, he slid inside the opulent space and gasped in wonder. A lush carpet of arcanine fur spread over the floor, walls bedecked with jewels and paintings partitioned the room into three spacious chambers. Each room was decorated with a motif and an eye watering shade of pink smeared over Wiggly's front door, the color contrasted horribly with the pleasant shade of mauve painted on Gothitelle's door and the metallic trim of Steelix's gate. The flak of wood opened and an irritated balloon pokemon tumbled out. The look of irritation melted when Wiggly spied Red.

Pointing to dragon hide couch tucked in the central area, Wigglytuff refused to listen to Red's pleas until he drowned his coffee. Rubbing a pudgy hand on his equally pudgy temple, he nodded and quietly absorbed everything Bulbasaur poured. "I understand Green could not control himself in Pride and ended up as a popsicle?" A smirk ghosted over Wiggly's lips and Red lashed a vine, hissing in pain when the guild master caught the tendril and ripped it off. "Your body control is good, I'm proud of you." Another tight look flitted across his face before dissolving like the cubes of sugar in his coffee. "Green's condition sounds really serious." Bulbasaur paled. "I'm not joking." Wiggly breathed and leaned back, uncharacteristic fatigue rimming his normally bubbly eyes. "Normally, fire types should recover if they are surrounded by their element, he eats well but he is losing weight is it?" Red nodded vigorously whilst Wigglytuff muttered to himself. "Perhaps he is suffering from nutrition deficiency?"

"Green eats his nutrients like a freaking tepig!" Red snarled, he wanted to shake the guild master so he could cough a sensible solution. "I make sure of that, so how in Giratina's name is he suffering from malnutrition?"

Wiggly rubbed his temples. "Stop screaming, I had a nightmare last night, thanks to you." A look of unspeakable hatred skimmed across his face. "...Pardon me, I am not feeling very well either." Wiggly stated and his back sizzled, the curse imparted by the Lord of the Underworld, plagued his sleep. "Green is a dragon and thus a carnivore, he eats meat." Bulbasaur blinked, the healthy flush of his skin paled a few shades. "Therefore stuffing him with pills and vitamin gummis will not sustain him. Vespiquen's eatery will not sell you any meat-based dishes because...Umbreon, stupid prick...And besides, those dishes are frightfully expensive and reserved for evolved pokemon." Red wilted to the floor, bulb leaking. "However...I'm really not supposed to be telling you this," Wigglytuff mumbled and grabbed his head, "the black market sells meat and they are willing to part with it if you can hash the cash." Another distorted smile wound Wiggly's lips. "I doubt you have the funds though."

Red's eye twitched. "Thanks for your assistance," he growled, "but I can't help wanting to run you through with bisharp's arm blades." Bulbasaur spat when Wiggly simpered. "That scar on your face looks good on you by the way, mind telling me where you got it? It might make a good bed time story."

Manectric, who persuaded a guild member to bring him a berry smoothie from the chaotic eating hall, eagerly lapped his merge breakfast whilst skimming a ream of forms, he wondered about the happenings in the real world and concentrated, but the memories escaped him, like fuzzy fragments of a misaligned jigsaw puzzle. Rubbing his eyes, he resumed weeding obsolete forms. Manectric stamped papers, checked his schedule and huffed, he needed to complete a dungeon soon or else his actions will be the end of him. Stuffing morbid contemplations to the back of his mind, he hefted a stack of documents on his polished desk and frowned, while Wigglytuff encouraged pokemon to form exploration or rescue teams, the resulting applications created a boatload of work for the electric type and he often stayed up nights, approving or rejecting applications. Frowning, he failed to see a shadow land on his table and the more he scowled at the papers, the quicker Layla's patience ran thin.

A rattle of bone against bone prompted Manectric to blink owlishly at the impassive absol. He smoothly greeted her as she rasped a tongue over her bone necklace. Absol's face showed deceptive calm and she asked, "Did that gurgling bulb pass this way? I've been looking for him since the morning." Layla woke up early to sounds emanating from the kitchen, unable to sleep, she doggedly crawled downstairs and observed Red muttering and packing, he slung a satchel around his bulb and disappeared through the gate. Resolving to catch a few snoozes before heading to the library to study on the Dungeon of Envy, Layla stalked upstairs and froze when Green yowled. Fur fluffed, she barged into his room to see the dragon kid tottering out of his fiery bed and crumpling to the floor. Oak whimpered to himself, clawing the air and calling names. Daisy, Grandpa, Red, Blue... Yellow. He mumbled and scored overgrown nails on the floor. Charmander repeated the names frenziedly, eventually hiccupping and demanding only for Grandpa. Gingerly, Layla picked him by the scruff and he slashed her cheek, she deposited him in a welcome rush of haematic flames and Green immediately clutched a burning branch to his chest and quieted. He refused offers for food and balled up to sleep.

Wolfing a quick breakfast, she ambled to the park; however, instead of finding Bulbasaur, she stumbled upon the sleeping form of her superior. Curled up akin to a cat in front of the emporium, Umbreon softly snored in a patch of shadows. Tamen's face, when not twisted into an authoritative sneer was rather good looking; Layla decided and quickly drew back when the moonlight pokemon flicked its ears. Resisting the urge to prod her commander, she curtly queried for Red's whereabouts and Serperior pointed her to the guild.

"So, has Red come here?" Layla demanded, vexation seeping into her words, "I wasted a whole morning searching for the bundle of tree sap, he better be doing something productive or I'll flay him from limb to limb," she growled and speared her amber gaze at Manectric who inwardly sighed.

The electric type filed papers whilst Layla vented, when she paused to catch her breath, he interjected. "He walked in here and asked for the guild master, I believe they are on the fourth floor." She thanked him and bounded up the stairs. Manectric blinked, Layla thanking him?

Must be a figment of his imagination.

The doors leading to the private quarters were open, warily; Layla entered and watched Red moodily drinking a mug of milk. His eyes lit up and tiny part of her dreaded the words half tumbling out of his mouth. "Sparks!" he cheerfully greeted and she frowned at the disorientating warmth in his voice. "I found a solution to Green's predicament," Red animatedly declared and tumbled off the dragon hide couch. "Wiggly over there says Green is malnourished." Expression doing a complete revolution, Bulbasaur tossed his head at the simmering balloon pokemon and snarked, "Apparently the Black Market sells meat...Green is gonna miraculously recover if he eats a grilled steak-"

"It is possible." Layla cut in. "He is a carnivore and they are not sustained by mere frui-"

"But we don't have any money!" the seed pokemon wailed. "Okay...fine, let's say Green will get better after eating something more suited to his tastes...However...I don't have that much money. Why is meat so expensive anyway?" Red stopped pacing and stared at her quizzically. "Some pokemon need it so why?" The distressed expression on his face piqued Layla and she curled her lips. Bulbasaur backtracked and loured at Wiggly.

Absol stared at the dejected seed pokemon. The stress on his system must have delayed his evolution; she mused and locked her honeyed eyes with Wigglytuff's bleak ones. "Sir, may I suggest we form a team?" Layla jerked her muzzle at Red who tilted his head in confusion. "I'll register with the three of us, I know a team must consist of pokemon in the second or third stage of evolution but Red is almost an ivysaur and I do not evolve. And for our first mission, Green is too ill to accompany us. If you please, allow us to take a request to earn more money." Wigglytuff smiled approvingly and waved his hand. "Thank you." She bowed and Red hastily followed suit. "I'll inform Manectric of your decision." Layla recoiled when Bulbasaur wrapped his stubby forepaws around her hind leg. "I appreciate your gratitude; now get off me before I tear your bulb into quarters."

Mid-afternoon

Treasure Town

Village Square

The information board in the village commons offered many jobs. They ranged from mundane duties such as sweeping streets, picking litter or part-time help in a mart. Other jobs were ranked on their difficulty and Bulbasaur, neck wrapped in a fancy scarf, checked the rewards. A measly rescue mission offered mind boggling sums of money and he snatched requests from the board whilst Layla mulled over her stack of papers. An extraordinary amount of missions came from the Dungeon of Wrath and Sloth. Pride had a fair share, after defeating Adulari, the poor trial goers were stuck with no means of escape. Sighing, Red re-pinned the jobs and paused when one petition snagged his attention. An image of a battered luvdisc prefaced a plea of help. The water type was stuck in Lust; Red shivered, and needed urgent rescue. Ten days, Bulbasaur mused as he looked at the flier, Luvdisc has been confined in Lust for over a week, could they help him?

No, they had to help him.

Red waved the flier in front of Absol who scowled disapprovingly. "Rescue missions are too risky; and don't forget you are absolutely useless in Lust's dungeon." Pouting, Bulbasaur passionately declared he will do his best, unconvinced, Layla searched for a suitable job, one that will hopefully keep him busy. She found none. A scarlet piece of cloth wound around her forepaw and she lamented on being swayed by Red and his shenanigans. Manectric, disproval stamped in lamp-like eyes, reluctantly registered their team. When asked for a suitable group name, the stupid Bulbasaur announced that they were the Green rescue team. The receptionist chuckled, sniggers morphing in a gleeful howl. Peeved, Red promptly announced a new name: Team Phoenix and released a cloud of poison spores. The guild promptly quieted and stared.

"Phoenixes," Red quietly stated, "never die, they are reborn over and over again." When they walked outside, complete with a starter package, identifying pieces of cloth and a rule book bestowed to each new Team, he softly added, "We are all like phoenixes; we never die, not truly. If we pass out from this world, we will reincarnate to the next..." He paused and looked up at the sky. "Isn't it true? Sparks?"

We never truly die.

Five minutes later, Bulbasaur, shaking free from his contemplatively depressing mood, dragged Layla to a clear stream and they examined their reflections. Excitedly, Red wound a scarlet scarf around his neck and smiled proudly, a breeze buffeting the ends of the cloth. Flushing in embarrassment, Layla tied her cloth around her forearm, her prudent expression mirrored from the water's surface and she turned to witness Red eagerly tearing the starter pack and spilling the contents on the grassy bank. High quality teleporting gems tumbled out of a clear container, vials of golden elixir, wonder orbs and hidden machines glittered under the sun. The grass type seemed unhappy and restlessly pawed the premium goods. Earlier elation melting, he scowled dissatisfiedly and muttered about badges. Searching some more, he plopped dejectedly to the ground and when Layla hesitatingly asked what bothered him, Bulbasaur launched into a lecture about the spirit of friendship and ended his outburst by demanding custom made Team Phoenix badges. Huffing angrily, a contrast to his gurgling, pinkish bulb, Red haphazardly tossed the items back into the bag and carelessly threw the rule book with the entire lot.

"...We will get identification badges," Absol stated and tapped into her hidden reserve of patience; she prayed for Green to get better, if she hung around the frivolous Bulbasaur, murder might pop up on her bucket list. "It takes time to make them, the badges are pure silver and they ward off evil and since silver is a precious metal, it has to be recycled." The grassy banks of the stream rippled, a tidal wave of green and brown. Red, appeased by her explanation, flashed a sunny smile and she snarled when he struck a pose and demanded she do the same. "You, have a death wish don't you?" she barked.

"For Team Phoenix!" Red bubbled and speared his crimson gaze at her. The look in his eyes and the smile on his face did not complement each other.

"...For Team Phoenix..." Layla mumbled and raised a paw to bump fists with Red. Face heating, she heard well wishes ricocheting from the opposite bank. A team of wide eyed neophytes stared glassily at them and she wilted in mortification, cursing at the grinning Bulbasaur. Absol desperately fought with her twitching lips as it inched into a content smile. If she completed the trials and moved on, perhaps...She will miss the presence of a level headed charmander and a bulbasaur who painted rainbows from the dreary colors of black, white and grey. The duo crash landed in her life and a part of her was grateful for their existence. Her heartfelt smile crawled downwards and the corners of her black lips descended till she frowned.

In front of her, Red warbled for help as he stumbled over a tree root and waved stubby legs in the air.

* * *

Unknown time

Gehenna

Dungeon of Lust

Ten days.

Ten days, Luvdisc pondered and scored another tally on a sheet of stone. He quivered in a hidden alcove he stumbled upon when escaping a horde of rabid female pokemon. A lopunny viciously trailed him and squeaking in fear, luvdisc put on an extra burst of speed and hovered away. The fighting type somersaulted and he shrieked, meeting a jump kick with a hydro pump; the flouncing bunny smacked into the side of a crystal wall. The partition caved in to reveal an area unlike the rest of the dungeon. Rough grey stone and paper charms, glued to the rocky walls, made up the cave. A rusty red and shimmering yellow, like spilled gold and blood, weaved a sigil on the cave floor. Wailing in fear, lopunny backed away and Luvdisc gratefully entered the grotto while his pursuers snarled from the lip. Alone and afraid, the water type shivered and carefully rationed his merge supplies. Sleep, held at bay by the constant threat of Lust's specters, who, Luvdisc suspected, might one day overcome the protective spells attributed to the hollow and drag him back to the plain of colored crystal. He vividly remembered his team mates' gruesome deaths. Swalot was the first to fall prey. Horrified, luvdisc and furret watched the bag of poison rupture, creating a foul puddle of acid on the glassy floor. Grief welled in Luvdisc and dazedly; he watched the bevy of ghosts slurp the remnants of his friend. They licked every last drop of acid and, Furret screamed, fainting on sight.

And luvdisc abandoned her in the quest to save his own life.

He trembled and bemoaned the lack of appendages. He tried to save her, but the enemy was fast, furious and lethal. They pulled her fur and skin off. And he looked away as the apparitions sunk their teeth in furret's tender flesh.

In the cave, his body shriveled due to lack of water and the lustrous heart-scales flaked, carpeting the grotto. Several days ago, he sent a plea for help and frenziedly prayed for someone. A moldy gummy lay on the floor and his stomach growled. Fighting nausea, Luvdisc listlessly pecked the half rotted food before holding his breath and swallowing it whole. Stomach rumbling, he crawled to the corner and slipped into a restless sleep.

A piece of crinkly parchment lay on the ground and inked the dungeon's floor plan. Psychic magic, Absol intoned and watched breathlessly as each and every detail in Lust's dungeon came alive on the paper. A pulsing dot, their target, remained stationary in a corner hanging off the edge of the map. The duo traced a suitable path and set off with confident strides. To Red's credit, he steered clear of the crystal beams and did not pause to the ethereal sight of light dancing on the floor. The haunted, childish singing inside the dungeon sounded less terrifying and grim faced, he pushed forward, only the trickle of his partially open bulb belied his anxiety. A monolith of mauve glass imprisoned an array of gardevoir and gothita, each wide eyeball swiveling to face them. As the duo skirted the pillar, they heard the unmistakable sound of cracking glass. The humungous beam splintered, a tangle of limbs emerged along with puffs of powder pink smoke. Ghosts thrashed against their opulent confines and broke free, gripping silvers of crystal and hurling them at the rapidly escaping duo. Red skidded to a halt when a whirlpool of shadows gathered in front of him, he snappily moved away by maneuvering his vines. Layla shadow sneaked across the ground, teleporting out of the way when a furious mienshao smashed the floor, littering the crystalline ground with spider web fissures.

Mind fuzzing, Bulbasaur gritted his teeth, refusing to fall under the spell of attraction; for Green and the poor soul who needed rescuing, he reminded himself and articulated a war cry, a gothita stuck its arm into his gullet and Red chomped, severing the appendage. A flurry of magical leaves reduced gothita into smoke. Absol, bone necklace rattling, buried her jaws in larger enemies and licked her lips free of smoke. They checked their map again and the plant type whooped gleefully, they were much closer to the target than they initially thought. Popping a handful of roses and showering the petals all over the ground, Bulbasaur rolled the map and pushed forward, a particle littered gale howled in front of him and instead of slowing down or screeching, he scattered the winds with a solar beam. Impressed by his growth, Layla padded after him and stopped in front of a perfect rose lying on the floor. Irritated for no reason, he picked the rose between her teeth and inhaled. The sweet scent brought a rush of warm emotions and alarmed, she spat the flower, slightly perturbed.

"Layla!" Red hollered from deep within the cavern. "Are you stuck? Do you need help?" His voice echoed everywhere, drowning the snickering baby and her ruffled fur lay flat. Red's tone was soothing if he wasn't screaming like a deranged monster.

"I'm fine," she replied, "stay where you are, I'm coming...I was just caught up in...Nothing, never mind. I'll be there in a second."

They found the wrinkled luvdisc gasping for water in a protected cave.

The creature lay on a stone pedestal, surrounded by litter and chafed scales. Seeing the bulbasaur, Luvdisc shrieked and feebly flopped deeper into the cave, it fell off the pedestal with a sickening splat and spat a pathetic water gun to shield itself. Red, oblivious to the water type's fear, offered a vine and luvdisc whimpered, teeth chattering violently and preventing coherent speech. Carefully, Red placed an apple on the floor. Luvdisc stared at it, crawled forward and eagerly buried its snout in fresh food. "Th-thank you so much..." The heart shaped creature sobbed and quenched his parched throat. "I thought...I thought I was going to die here. When I stumbled into this cave, I immediately sent mail via a charm fixed to this place...But as the days slipped by, my hopes dwindled. Several times, I thought of going back and letting the specters finish me off. I am so scared." Luvdisc trembled uncontrollably and Red placed another gummi in front of him. "No thank you, I'm quite full, I want to get out of here as soon as possible." For the first time in ten days, the pokemon smiled and the edges of his lips cracked and bled pink.

Luvdisc hitched a ride atop Red's back as they retraced their steps back to the entrance. The water type napped, refreshing sleep punctuated by frequent arguments. A tiny grin tugged at his lips at the banter, the duo often referred to a sick dragon kid named Green, whom they left at home. Miserable and lonely, Luvdisc wondered how to spend the remainder of his days without any companions and shook himself, he will just have make new friends at the guild. Layla and Red, argued again, one stabbed the map and pointed forward, whilst the other wanted to collect dungeon loot so 'Green' could have more food. The exit loomed, a pale circle in a vast sky of black. Rays of light filtered through the open mouth of the baby and they bounced from one platform to the other and reached the top. A fresh breeze wafted from the south, carrying hope and new dreams. Above them, a waning moon created pools of ivory light in a tangle of shadows. Red jumped from the scarred surface of the wooden baby doll and helped Layla down. Or tried to. The female Absol smiled when he offered a vine and caught herself, primly pushing his help away, she smoothly bounded to the ground and cast protect. From there, the trio rolled in a fiery bauble all the way to the edge of Treasure Town.

The sleeping hamlet snored peacefully.

Climbing off Bulbasaur's back, Luvdisc floated across stone streets and wooden bridges. He ambled into the residential area where a magnificent block of flats swallowed them. The domicile, light peach in the moonlight, was designed with large dewott and cloyster shells. Quickly ushering them into a scale tiled foyer, Luvdisc and his saviors rode the glass elevator and stopped at the fifth floor. The water type quickly zipped into his apartment to fetch the monetary reward. Meanwhile, Layla raised her eyebrow at a cowrie shell chandelier dangling from the roof. The sliding door to Luvdisc's apartment whirred open and he staggered underneath the weight of a small chest. Hefting it at their feet, the pink pokemon burst into tears and thanked them profusely. He handed a thick wad of crisp notes to Absol and pried open the chest, revealing a mountain of polished jewels. Voice quivering, he implored his rescuers to take their pick.

"We are fine with the money, thanks." Red declined the offer of jewels and shut the trunk. "It isn't fair to milk you just because we rescued you...But don't give up on the trials simply because you lost your companions alright?" Bulbasaur remembered black fire. "We didn't save you so you could spontaneously combust on us. Promise you will complete the trials of Gehenna for your friends." Luvdisc nodded eagerly and Red grinned. "Excellent." He stifled a yawn. "I'm really tired after that dungeon crawling expedition so I'm gonna head home for some rest." The disaster pokemon and grass type bid goodbye to their rescuee and walked off.

Back at the peeling paint condominium, a far cry from Luvdisc's luxurious flat, Green weakly left his dying bed of fire and added more logs. He puffed a minuscule fireball and the orange flame died before igniting anything. Tired and dizzy beyond comprehension, he mindlessly hacked on his stone slate. The house remained deathly quiet and it choked him. Where was everyone? He wondered and viciously raked his claws. The screeching of claw on rock shattered the graveyard silence and he felt less alone. Standing on wobbly legs, he placed the slab back on the table and tottered downstairs to the kitchen. It leapt up to him, cold, unfriendly and empty. Sighing, he blew the lamps, visited the bathroom and trudged back upstairs. Knocking on Red's door yielded no responses and muttering an apology, Oak peeked into the room where no bulbasaur grinned at him. Panic welling in his chest, he wheezed to the third floor and banged his fists on Layla's door. No muffled yelling reached his ears and he threw the door open.

Nothing.

Just more silence.

Breathing heavily, Green returned to bed, shivering and ignoring the hungry growling from his stomach. Wrapping forearms around a burning branch, he tucked his head in and gnawed on a twig. Charmander slipped into unconsciousness, a restless sleep punctuated by water, dead bodies and occasional flashes of beastly, red eyes.

One floor below, the door quietly opened. Green jerked in his sleep and mumbled an apology.

* * *

 **A/N:** And there you have it, Layla's back story. Much thanks to all those who read and reviewed, feedback and constructive criticism are always appreciated. At Jack54311: I think goofy, childish turning into a war machine describes Red perfectly. I just have this image of him. Eh? I'm really happy you like Layla, whilst writing her, I tried to make her unpleasant as possible but a memorable character in her own right. I didn't want her to be defined by Red and Green. I hope you enjoy her backstory, did her past come as a surprise or did you suspect it all along?


	10. Blooming

**Blooming**

Twilight

Outskirts of Treasure Town

Beach of Evocation

Contrary to popular belief, the Beach of Evocation was not a legitimate part of Gehenna. The seashore served as limbo, a temporary refuge the sinners used to comfort themselves and free their memory from their deeds. It is rumored Tzion, the realm governed by Arceus, also had a beach, but the sea in Bliss did not rob memories, rather, it offered the denizens a recollection of their lives, cementing their good deeds. The waters of the Beach of Evocation contained memories, incorporeal figments which solidified into objects. A team of houndour worked with haunter and gengar as they weaved and cast nets of dark energy in salty waters. Their boss, a dour faced houndoom, whipped its balding tail and the collar of metallic spikes choking its neck caught the last rays of the sun and glinted like a macabre kaleidoscope. He watched the proceedings hawkishly, ears primed backwards. The beach, normally still and picturesque, save for a flock of wingull, erupted into disharmony as the dark and ghost pokemon yelled obscenities at each other and pulled. The gate of Gehenna bubbled ominously. Fat, tarry bubbles popped on the pillars and the entire structure wobbled on its viscous base. Houndoom gritted his teeth, sparks of fire ignited in his muzzle and he barked at his subordinates to hurry up.

He did not want the meddlesome Umbreon to show up and ruin his artifact hunt.

The gatherers howled in affirmative and reeled dark nets. Ominous pendants, reeking of witchcraft and bad omens, lay between polished daggers and skeleton fragments. An eyeball rolled in the hollow socket of a half crushed skull. Loads of bullets, guns and rifles surfaced, bodies dented and slashed. Crowns and rare jewelry, crusted in barnacle, tumbled upon piles of coins, vials of questionable liquid and canisters plastered with danger signs. Personal possessions fascinated him and so, Houndoom, tail flicking, stalked towards the catch and watched his underlings load the junk in durable caskets. An oval tag snagged his attention, unlike the other, extravagant objects falling into the trunks, this piece of jewelry appeared unassuming. Hooking his silver capped tail around the fine chain; he tossed it back to the sea, claiming such a simple piece will net them nothing. One of the gengar on patrol paled, its mischievous face freezing as it turned towards the gate. Houndoom's ears twitched irritably.

"I see you haven't learned your lesson Dom." Umbreon hissed, his authoritative voice cutting through the din on the beach. The working pokemon halted and stared at the personification of their nightmares: an Umbreon with blue body rings. The moonlight pokemon fell very short, the tips of its long ears barely grazed Houndoom's chin but what it lacked in size, it made up with a dictatorial presence. Eyes narrowed and lips pulled into a snarl, Tamen jerked his chin and demanded, "Heaving more junk from the sea?" Dom rumbled. "Wigglytuff may overlook your crimes but I certainly will not." Umbreon paced along the beach, gunmetal blue irises piercing the black market employees. "Dump the contents of your trawling back into the sea and leave quietly." Embers flew from houndoom's nostrils as he exhaled angrily and motioned his workers to empty the caskets in the ocean. Great splashes rose in the dusky water and the teams rounded up and marched back to Treasure Town. Dom spat a ring of fire at Umbreon, who calmly teleported elsewhere, the canine swaggered past Tamen, angrily brushing his body against the moonlight pokemon. The feline held his breath, nauseated by the overpowering stench of cinders emanating from the hell hound's body.

Dom whipped his spike capped tail threateningly in the air. "Wigglytuff approves of the Black market and he is the most powerful monster in town. Heh...If that pink blob turns a blind eye, I will strangle you, rip your glossy coat off your skinny body and fashion a cape out of it. Best watch where you sleep, Tamen."

Tamen bared his teeth, gleaming, eggshell needles crammed into his tiny maw.

"I'd like to see you try."

* * *

A scratching noise outside her room prompted Absol to open the door. The sun had barely risen but standing in front of her, bud sprinkled with dew, grinned Red. Hooking and unhooking her claws on the flint floor, a pool of shadows bubbled at her feet and still simpering like the sun, Bulbasaur promptly dissipated her dark pulse with a timely energy ball. "Rise and shine Sparks!" Red yelled exuberantly, "You know what they say; the early bird gets the worm." Her eye twitched, Bulbasaur with a satchel strapped to his back, produced a honey sandwich, her favorite article of food. Suspicious and angry, Layla accepted the offering and wolfed it down. Shutting the door in his aghast face, she proceeded to groom and clean her claws.

The conch shells and uncut gemstones wreathed on her horn clinked, Layla's eyes veered to the collection of skulls decorating her wall and she wondered how a pink bulb would look amongst bleached bones. Roughly opening the door again, she jerked when Red posted himself in front of the entrance. "Do I look like a bird to you?" Absol snarled and he merely laughed. "And I don't eat worms, they are disgusting...Though bugs should inconvenience you shouldn't they?" He absentmindedly nodded and the duo headed downstairs. "You don't seem to be scared of fire, I mean, you always rub shoulders with Green, even if he gives you nasty burns..." Red shrugged and peeked into his bag; he retrieved a bottle of berry juice and tipped the contents into his maw. "Speaking of the dragon kid, did you visit him?" Layla asked.

Bulbasaur froze. "I'll see Green once I can get him the meat he desperately needs," Red curtly replied and quickly strode past Charmander's bedroom door.

"He...Did not wake up did he?" Absol questioned and Red's shoulders slumped. "Don't worry about it too much...He'll get better." Red did not look back, instead he amiably waved a green shoot in the air.

They spilled into the quiet roads of Treasure Town. The sun skimmed over rooftops, spilling golden light in shady paths. Weeds and tiny blossoms pushed through cracked stone pavements and shops opened; their owners and workers bumbling in a sleep induced haze. To the east, peeking between the rings of protective hills surrounding the hamlet, lay a plain of smoking caramel sands with geysers of fire erupting periodically. The apartment block area, with its high rise walls and balconies gave way to the market. Birds, beaks filled with letters, circled above the postal office. Already, hawkers and shopkeepers begged potential buyers to look at their wares. The bustling surroundings rung with a harried cadence and street food sellers tempted walkers with delicious aromas. Peeling out of the market, Red and Layla headed west. The roof of the guild greeted them and Bulbasaur sighed, somehow he came to associate the five story building as a second home. A new gate keeper patrolled the wooden entrance; froslass acknowledged them with a courteous bow and waved them along. Trudging past the information board and the village center's broken stone pillars, the duo squeezed into a narrow alley, Bulbasaur groaned as he maneuvered his bulk between two rough brick faces.

The black market stirred, a collection of stalls operating beneath barren trees; the area remained perpetually in shadows and was only accessibly by a network of hidden backstreets. Team Emblem barred some of the more dangerous routes and the members ensured no pokemon would accidentally meet their end if they wanted to access the clandestine market place via a sub-terrain duct. A handful of rusting, corrugated tin roofed houses served as lodging for the employees and they maliciously spilled from their rooms and opened up shops. Tarps were raised, threats exchanged. The boss doled food in a large stone cauldron bolted in the center of the black market square and the corroded urn appeared to be part of a once grand sculpture. Half raw meat and dungeon exclusive products streamed in the pot and the workers greedily shoved others out of the way and buried snarling snouts in the food. Houndoom, watching the mindless feasting with a trace of disgust, perked his ears when a strangled cry issued from a side street. He lashed his tail on the ground and his underlings quieted at once, resuming their gorging in spiteful whispers. Overhead, the sun rose gloriously and the constricted pathway spat a bleeding, half-evolved bulbasaur. Venom laced blood flecked the pavement and smoked. An absol leapt from behind the bulbasaur and Dom bristled, another one of Tamen's patrollers, his spike capped tail thrashed furiously, what did these nuisances want early in the morning? Near the square, a houndour lapped his share of water and regarded the duo curiously.

"Hey!" he shouted in recognition, "it's the little weed!"

Body burning, Red let the comment pass; wiping blood and poison, he turned to Layla who ignored the smoldering boss and curious onlookers. Amber eyes calmly swept the market and its heaps of junk. Rare candies, an illegal drug, winked merrily from a giant, stoppered glass jar. "Sparks, I've been thinking, since Green is sick, it's up to us to gather information on the next dungeon," Bulbasaur factually stated and Absol resisted the urge to roll her eyes, Red and think hardly appeared in the same breath. "You are the most experienced one out of us," he continued, "so where should we go next?"

Layla did a quick calculation in her head. "The Dungeon of Envy seems probable. I only have three dungeons left and Envy is the easiest one out of them...hopefully." At her words, an odd gleam pervaded Red's scarlet irises and she demanded if anything bothered him.

He shook his head animatedly. "The dungeon of Envy...You mean the Pecha berry preserve place?" Red eagerly asked and his bud bubbled happily.

A moment of silence smothered the quiet hissing permeating the Black market; the workers ogled the bulbasaur, incredulity plastered on their faces. Houndoom, whose nonstop tail thrashing paused, collected his jaw from the floor and barked at an espurr to do something.

Absol scraped the ground; marveling at her companion's one track mind and sarcastically answered, "Yes...the Pecha berry preserve place. I'm glad you remembered the most fundamental part of why we are visiting the dungeon."

"Excellent!" Red blithely exclaimed and turned to the group of disgruntled onlookers. He hiked to the nearest stall, a shack overflowing with dented rifles and tattooed eyeballs piled high in a half cranium. "I'd like to buy some meat." Bulbasaur slapped a thick wad of bills on the groaning counter. "It's for a charmander, I'm not sure what they lik-" Red and the poochyena shopkeeper ducked as a barbed tail flew over their heads, smashing into containers and unsettling a jar of spiritomb keys. The rocks skittered to the ground. Bulbasaur evading a whizzing fireball to his face; the ground beneath his feet lighted and a plume of fire erupted. Paws seared, he dove to the side and hobbled away from the enraged houndoom as it prepared to unleash a flamethrower. Red screwed his eyes shut; fire escaped Dom's stained jaws and with a piercing howl, Absol descended and raked a shadow claw over his flank. Off balanced, Dom's flamethrower hit an unsuspecting stall. A gengar yelped when the blue tarp above his head ignited, the ghost type bolted and helplessly gazed at the fire consuming its precious times. "What the hell?!" Red exclaimed. "Do you greet all your customers like this or what? I'm just trying to get some food for my friend and Wiggly sent me here, give me what I want and I'll get out of your face!" The grass monster glared furiously and hopped, keeping burnt paws above the ground.

The wound on Houndoom's flank ached terribly. "I am not about to sell my precious goods to pokemon working under Umbreon." Dom licked his shoulder, trying to entice feeling in the rapidly numbing limb. "Find someplace else to buy whatever you want, according to the officials, we are not allowed to operate." He jerked his head at Layla, who curled her lips into a snarl.

Gingerly setting his paw on the grimy ground, Red screeched, "Do I look like Umbreon's underling to you? I work at the park you moron." He winced in pain. "Look, I am not here to cause trouble, I simply want meat...Please, my friend needs it, he is very sick." When Dom looked unconvinced and settled for licking his partially healing wound, Bulbasaur begged again and a sneer twisted the hell hound's face. The boss signaled to the workers in the mart and they spilled from shadowed areas, congregating around Red. Narrowing her eyes Layla was about to leap when Dom's words stopped her.

"If you are that determined, then I'll set up a test." Houndoom's burnt orange eyes slid malevolently to Absol. "See if you can knock a few of my employees and we will call it even; Tamen's loyal dog is exempted from helping you." Dom ran a scarred tongue over chipped jaws and laughed huskily. "The money you forked over is hardly adequate for a decent hunk of meat; however, I am willing to be generous. If you fare well against my workers, I'll give you extra for your efforts." Swaggering to a tumble of wrecked, white-washed walls squashed over each other, Dom climbed and comfortably settled on top, He grinned crookedly and flicked his tail.

Begin.

Red tried to duck, but tendrils of darkness leashed him to the filthy floor. The mass of sneering pokemon pushed closer, eyes glinting ominously and face promising pain. Layla shouted but malicious growls swallowed her voice. She probably howled something derogatory, Red mused and suffered a ghastly's slobbery tongue ironing his face. Facial muscles paralyzed into a glare reminiscent of Green, Red furiously stabbed his vines in the ground and pushed upwards. At once, the minacious growling increased in urgency and the hostile monsters bounded, murder dripping from their jaws. Uttering a strangled cry, Red shot upwards and the beasts below him collided into each other. Relief became short lived when an espurr and then a houndour, hacked on Bulbasaur's vines, a jarring pain transmitted to his body and groaning weakly, he zipped across the street, aiming a tendril at the smirking, lofty Houndoom. A beast scythed through the vines holding Red airborne and with astonishment marring his face, he dropped into the waiting claws of bloodthirsty monsters. A nasty grin inched across his face when he bounced on the head of a particularly large gengar, the shadow pokemon clenched its hand into a fist when Red's pink bulb burst open. A storm of petals gusted out, slashing into shadows, skin and fur. Razor leaves crammed into mouths, stabbed eyes and sealed cuts with poison.

Lower leveled opponents clutched purplish wounds and scurried to the safety of their dilapidated shacks. The stronger ones flexed their bruises and a houndour ignited Red's bulb. Rolling over to snuff the flame, he veered away when a weavile slashed. Bud raw and bleeding, he drunkenly sidestepped a flurry of attacks and sensing victory, the monsters eased their violence, preferring to toy with the little weed. Red bounced on the stone floor, each impact drove his breath out of his chest. His vision clouded and when an espurr telepathically hurled him to the sky, past the flat rooftops of the surrounding buildings, he glimpsed wicked, black towers piercing the horizon to the west. Red's crimson eyes pivoted to the crooning houndoom and the vines wriggling on his back blitzed across the air and looped around Dom's spike collared throat. Bulbasaur pulled. A rosy-green bullet rocketed towards the suffocating hound and Red torpedoed on Dom's snout. Crunch. The sound of shattering jaw rang loudly; Bulbasaur ricocheted and sailed to the floor, dragging the gasping Dom with him. Houndoom's falling body catered the ground and Red plopped elegantly on Dom's heaving, streaming flank.

The air stank of cinders and sulphur.

"If you are all done ogling at me...I'd like to have the meat I paid for, plus the extras Houndoom offered." Red, withdrew his coils from the panting hound's neck and toppled to the ground. Streams of burnt orange blood dripped from Dom's maw and he spat out a broken tooth. The silent spell broken, a random pokemon scurried off and Layla joined Red's side, biting down a complaint when he leaned heavily on her. "I have a question..." Bulbasaur rasped, "Where do you get all this meat from and why is it illegal?" Dom cracked a bloody eyelid open and regarded the grass type with a ponderous gaze.

He slowly peeled off the floor and declined help from an eager neophyte. "Where do I get my meat?" Houndoom groggily repeated the question and grinned, a mouthful of cracked teeth. "Geh...If you have the time, I'd be happy to tell you."

Mid afternoon

Treasure Town

Black market

Starving was a form of punishment; Dom related to the spell bound audience sitting in front of him. During the days of old, when featureless plains and blood stained blocks made up Gehenna, the sinners were denied food. When the first corrupt humans died, the deity monsters punished them by morphing the humans into monsters. The process happened slowly, painfully. Dead people drifted on the Sea of Evocation, wearing nothing and when they washed up on the inviting, caramel sands of the beach, hoping for a refuge from salt tinged water, they received a nasty surprise. The moment they left the ocean, grotesque transformations occurred. Giratina, his obsidian glass throne sitting above the twilight sea, watched them. Flat faces elongated into snouts, human molars cracked, expanded and beast teeth replaced their jaws. Skin stained a different color, hair follicles thickened and fur gushed forth, itching and leaving red, burning bumps in its wake. Gross bone deformations and restructuring took place, some of the weak willed humans exploded at this stage, unable to bear the agony of a gruesome transformation. Hands shortened, legs bulked, spines cracked and restructured, neural routes were sliced and reconfigured, sending the morphing humans into a sort of frenzied dance. Limbs jerked at awkward angles. Some of them howled, half human, half beast.

A disgusting amalgamation.

One human arm and the other a razor edged scythe. The legs tangled into a serpentine tail. Giratina watched these creatures fall, pleading for mercy. Draconic jaws pierced through human cheeks, saurian craniums gave these literal monsters a ghoulish look. Some of them lay on the beach, corpses blistered by sun whilst Darkrai visited the survivors. Majority of the half monsters frothed at the sight of the nightmare pokemon and puffed into black flames instantaneously; the determined ones mindlessly filed into the featureless plains of Gehenna. On the four sides of the never ending plain, they glimpsed a land of tundra to the north and plains of fire to the east. Stakes were promptly hammered in the throats of those deemed to be the worst of the lot. The other damned pokemon were let loose. Carnivores gnawed on the bones of the chained whilst the mild mannered creatures scampered off to explore. They either lost themselves in the forest of animal eating trees, burned to death in the harsh desert or froze in the icy plateau.

And then, the dead flowed faster. In the land of living, humans tried to capture and tame monsters ruling the Poke-verse. Naturally, things did not go well. Instead of sailing through the ocean, the corrupt woke up as a pokemon with human memories.

The new creatures streaming into Gehenna suffered from poor body control and a painful awareness. It plagued them till their rebirth. Trials replaced crude punishments but still, there was no food. Tophet's block, a collection of reeking outhouses, served as a slaughterhouse for docile creatures. Monsters, armed with tooth, claw and a brutal mindset, reigned supreme. Screams of the fallen echoed from the windowless blocks, the weak banded together to gorge on the strong. Hunters. They circled a common target and lunged, tearing hide, gnawing bones, pulling teeth and crushing claws. Meat became the primary source of food for all creatures. Great, bloody hunks were eaten raw or hidden from bigger predators.

Dom grinned when Red's jaw hung open in understanding. Next to the grass type, Layla dozed, bored of listening to the rasping tale.

"So...wait, does this mean you procure meat from other...Pokemon like us?" Red wrinkled his nose at the parcel wrapped in leaves. "That...Is gross." He eyed the boss. "It's cannibalism, how could you! No wonder Umbreon hates you."

Dom snorted, "Then what do wanna eat? Ghosts?" He shifted on his hunches. "I'm sure you completed a dungeon, in case you haven't noticed Little Weed-"

"The name's Red," Bulbasaur interjected, "you don't want me to call you mangy old hound do you?" Layla barked a snippet of laughter.

Houndoom snarled, unappreciative of the stifled sniggers breaking out in the market square. "You look like a little weed to me; best hold your tongue or I'll burn your bulb into a crisp." Red rolled his eyes and motioned for the hound to continue. "...What was I was saying?" Dom whipped his tail, "ah yes, the ghosts. Like I said, the dungeon ghosts are not made from flesh, if you cut one open, they bleed smoke." Absol nodded in affirmative. "Those specters are there to test and thwart you." Dom fell silent, a scintilla of intense emotion flared in his bronze irises and faded. "Thanks to Wigglytuff, Treasure Town was born; he cultivated fruit and vegetables, found a way to pack them in gummis and created a thriving community. Unfortunately, meat eaters stuck around and mere herbs do not sustain them. You scoff at me for selling meat; however, if I refuse to give it to you, your dragon kid will die."

Red wilted weakly to the ground, refusing to meet Houndoom's accusatory eyes.

The sun rode higher in the sky. More pokemon squeezed from the narrow streets and poured into the Black market. They bought trinkets, rare candies, meat, high quality illegal technical machines and majority of them lumbered to a surprisingly busy body parlor tucked into a corner of a wider street. Fresh ink shone on the returning monster's bodies. "As for the source of our meat," Dom related after Red peeled his eyes from staraptor inked from head to talon, "we harvest them from pokemon who need to be rescued in the dungeons."

Layla snapped up and Red's mouth fell open in disbelief. The mere thought of killing a creature waiting to be saved, repulsed him. He imagined a lonely pokemon grieving for its dead friends. The beast sent a plea of help and a team of houndour, gengar and espurr showed up to carve him. Thoughts straying to the luvdisc he saved the previous night, Bulbasaur heaved a sigh of relief. The rational part of him wanted to spring up and bark in the greedy houndoom's face, but deep within, he knew it was a necessary sacrifice.

No one wanted to be fodder for others

A diabolical grin inched across Dom's face. "Your silence is surprising." Layla lowered her eyes and rumbled angrily. "I see you understand the gravity of business. The black market has been operated mostly by dark and ghost pokemon and the leader of this organized crime is always a Houndoom. It is tradition. Once I am done completing all my dungeons, I shall bequeath this Black market to the next Houndoom worthy of it." A faint trace of warmth graced his words. Several workers crept out of their stalls and listened to him, alas, they scurried away when the ill-tempered leader whipped his tail at them. "There is no alternative source of meat and it does not pain me to hunt those pathetic fools and carve them up-"

"At the very least, you can stop talking about them like they were born to feed others." Red trembled, keeping his temper in check. "Being trapped and helpless in a dungeon is an experience I would not want to wish on anybody. You...Prey on the weak...Yes, I know you have to...For the benefit of those who need meat to survive." He got up and collected his parcel. "However, if you find it pleasurable to hunt those desperately waiting for someone to rescue them, then you are beyond hope." Leashing the package to his bulb, Red bowed stiffly. "Thanks for the meat, I hope to never bother you again."

The duo strode home. Red purposefully chose the long way and chewed on Dom's words. The parcel on his back felt heavy. For a terrifying moment, he thought he heard voices stemming from the hunk of meat. Curses. Words that burned and struck like thunder. Slowing to a crawl, he mulled over the purpose of the trials, did they make him a better person? As a human, he developed a tendency to stick his nose in matters unrelated to him. His skirmish with Team Rocket began because without those criminals, life would be a better place for both people and pokemon. Years later, he walked the same path as those detested felons and constantly assured himself that he did it for those he cared about. Lies. The slaughtered souls whispered. Shaking his head, he glanced at Layla. She propelled forward, fire in her eyes, determination in her stride and intent in her jaws; Absol lacked indecision; her careless facade hid an astute sense and often, Red tried piecing her human life. He failed to reach a suitable conclusion, but whatever her occupation, he had no doubt she did her job unhesitatingly. The rooftop of the dilapidated condominium emerged and Bulbasaur grinned, if the three of them completed some dungeon jobs, they would amass enough funds to give the domicile a new coat. However, the sight of flaking paint and mossy bricks underneath crumbling plaster, instilled a sense of comfort and safety in him.

He loved the building as it was.

Unlatching the bolt, Red waded through the gate with Layla following behind. In the immaculate kitchen, Bulbasaur fussed, untangled the parcel from his bud and carefully laid it on the table. Absol watched him, her eyes spelling insulting nicknames. The duo haplessly stared at the block of red meat and Red questioned:

"Should we cook this or is Green fine with raw meat?"

"Why in Giratina's name are you asking me?" Layla hissed. "Green is your best friend... You should be familiar with his preferences." Sighing, she warily stared at the blood red blob and added, "Perhaps we should cook it...Our instincts lean towards the human side," she twitched, "and personally, the thought of eating raw meat disgusts me."

Red nodded sagely, never a good sign. He spun around, collected a pan and placed it over a cold hearth. "Yeah, I don't want Green to get food poisoning. So, you do the cooking while I watch and learn," he offered, beamed like the sun and turned towards a smoldering Absol. Dark shadows leaked from her body and spilled across the tiled floor.

"I do the cooking?" The disaster pokemon barked with deceptive calm. "Why should I do the cooking?"

The grass type inched backwards, eyes desperately searched for something to appease Layla's wrath. "I can't cook," Red feebly defended, his vines unconsciously knitting a protect. "I'm horrible at it and it takes me an age to make something remotely decent." He quivered and bemoaned the lack of a charmander to stand between him and the harbinger of chaos.

Layla flicked her ears indifferently and relieved, Red splayed to the floor. "Same here...I can't cook," she confessed. "I don't think I've ever cooked in my life."

"In your life?" Bulbasaur queried and frowned. "You mean this life or the previous one?" Absol yawned heartily and shrugged. "So you've never touched a pot before you died? How did you eat?" Shaking his head, Red lighted a fire and cringed from the flames. "Well, I suppose someone cared and looked out for you." He scrunched his face and scratched his head with a vine. "How was the person like?" Red questioned eagerly, crimson eyes searching her emotionless visage for an answer.

Absol thought.

"I don't remember." She curtly answered and Red's face fell. "Go see Green; he must be worried about you." Bulbasaur trundled off and she stared at the flickering fire, demanding them to cough answers. Who was she before she died?

 _?_

* * *

The door to Charmander's bedroom opened, revealing a scratched floor, mounds of grey ashes heaped in corners and Green hunched over his stone slate; embers glowed in the fire place and he rotated to observe his friend glassily. Red grinned and tentatively offered him an Oran berry. The blue berry curled in Bulbasaur's vine inched towards Green and the latter grabbed the tendril and pulled the plant type closer. "Where. Were. You?" Oak demanded and the vine sizzled in his feverish grasp. His scarlet eyed best friend warbled something about exploring Treasure Town and the black market and Green's reptilian eyes glazed in mistrust. He pointed to the scars littering Bulbasaur's rosy bulb and questioned, "And mind telling me exactly what sort of adventures led you to having your stupid bud crisscrossed with slash marks and burns?" Charmander relinquished his grip and the seared tendril fell away. "I bet you were doing something dangerous...And you dragged Layla with it." Moodily, Charmander grabbed his slate and ran his claws down the rough edges. "...I was worried when the two of you weren't home last night."

Sweeping his eyes around the sooty room, Red implored Green to follow him and he slunk downstairs, stomach growling hungrily. Oak brushed Bulbasaur's meaningful look with a comment and a shake of his head. Slats of orange light fell on the kitchen tiles and a block of raw, red meat sat proudly on the island. Hunger pangs forcing him to bend double, Green grabbed a stool and posted himself directly in front of the mouthwatering article of food. A moment of awkward silence hung over the trio and the crackle of firewood prompted Absol to dice the flesh with her claws and toss the individual pieces on a sizzling pan. She scooted away from the stove when the meat popped and splattered and fiercely commanded Red to take over. Sweating toxins, Red cursed and turned the meat from the safety of a leafy protect. The aroma of grilled meat wafted through the kitchen and Oak expectantly drummed his polished claws on the table top. Near the hearth, Bulbasaur sniffed, convulsed and promptly vomited on the kitchen's spotless tiles much to Charmander's and Layla's dismay.

A pool of congealed acid and plant matter widened on the floor and Layla yowled, "Arceus' sake, get to the bathroom and stop hacking up the contents of your stomach on my kitchen floor!" Red gasped, moaned and bolted to the toilet. Shrieking, Layla grabbed hold of the pan handle with her teeth and unceremoniously tipped the half burnt, half raw slices of meat on to a plate. She glared at them, pushed the dish towards Green, who salivated against his will; and retrieved a hunk of bread from the basket. "You eat," she commanded and Oak spared her a tired gaze before trundling towards the bathroom. "Green, you hardly have the strength to walk, so I suggest you eat. I'm not about to tolerate two sick morons in my house." Layla threatened and he meekly retreated to the table and inhaled. Food, glorious food. Guiltily, he tucked into his meal and spared a glance at the lavatory. Running water gurgled down a basin behind closed doors. At the counter, Absol angrily muttered and rifled through the cabinets, she poured equal quantities of Lum and Sitrus berries in a stone blender and crushed them. Pouring the mixture into a cup, she skirted the mess on the floor and passed the concoction to Red. Exhaling, Layla grabbed paper towels, wrinkled her nose and cleaned the acid corroding the floor.

Green ate slowly, thankfully and halfway through his meal, Red emerged from the bathroom, a shade paler than his normal complexion. A dried petal flaked off his bulb. He crawled to the counter and hunted for a seed studded loaf of bread to nibble on. Oak hooked a piece of meat on a claw and offered to him. Bulbasaur's reaction was uncalled for. The plant type flailed backwards, knocked over a precious jar of honey and pressed a vine against his nose. "No thanks..." he weakly declined. "...I can't take the smell of cooked meat it seems...It stinks." Bulbasaur grabbed a jar of mixed berry preserve and crept upstairs to his bedroom with bread dangling from his jaws. "Eat up Green, when you are better, we'll go to the guild for research. Our next dungeon is the Pecha Berry preserve place!" Red hollered from the second floor and Charmander raised an eyebrow at Layla.

"Pecha berry preserve place?" he questioned and both his eyebrows shot up. "Oh, he means the dungeon of Envy."

Layla pouted, "At least one of you has your heads screwed on properly." She settled next to Green and whipped up a sandwich. Oak courteously offered her some of his food and she declined. "We went through great lengths to secure that meat for you so you better eat and return to full health. If I have to sit through one of Red's asinine ramblings one more time...I'll lose all of my brain cells." Absol scathed.

Hearty laughter rumbled in Green's throat and she sent him a fleeting smile.

For the first time since completing the Trial of Pride, Oak felt alive once more.

Early evening

Treasure Town

Condominium

The trio relaxed on the veranda. An evening breeze gusted through the buildings, carrying the cries of market workers and rich petrichor. To the north, a bank of pregnant clouds lazily rolled closer to the hamlet, thunder flashed in the dirty white underbelly of the gigantic puffs. Slumped tiredly on the floor and dangerously close to the edge of the open platform, Green observed a collection of beasts spilling out from the guild. From this distance, they appeared as mere pinpricks of gleaming exoskeleton, creased hides or swathes of multicolored fur. The church bell rang, pleasant chimes filling the stagnant air. Craning his neck, Charmander watched Red busily scribble in a notebook, the writing next to illegible. Bulbasaur frenetically clutched a stick of fine charcoal in its vine and wrote in great speeds. Layla yawned, a pink tongue curled over ivory jaws and she settled her head on her paws. Waiting for her hawkish eyes to close, Green cautiously prowled around the slumbering absol and peeked over Red's shoulder.

He drew a diagram of sorts. Charmander squinted, trying to sort out the mess of spaghetti lines into individual words, but the handwriting eluded him. The crimson eyed beast flipped a page and scribbled all over again.

"What are you doing?" Oak asked.

Red ignored him in favor of diving into a leafy satchel and retrieving a few books. Charmander's jade eyes popped out of his sockets. Books. Everything about the current situation felt surreal and wrong. Layla should be barking at them to go to work, Red was supposed to spout random ideas for dinner, and he, Green, would sit quietly at his table and research on the layout of the next dungeon.

"...Red-" The fire type tried again.

Flourishing the notes, Bulbasaur grinned widely, "How are you feeling?" he queried and packed the books back into his bag, Oak mumbled a reply and the noise roused Layla, who glowered at them. "Sorry for ignoring you earlier." The plant type narrowed his eyes at the notes and Layla wondered if the idiot could actually read the gibberish he wrote. "I drew plans for what we should do for the next few days." Both Charmander and Absol raised their eyebrows, equal parts concern and curiosity stamped on their faces. "First of all, I'm worried about my stunted evolution, so I'm gonna head to the guild tomorrow morning and ask Wigglytuff about it. Secondly, Green...you are not in full health," Oak looked away, "and I know you won't like it, but you need absolute bed rest. I can't...Risk having you almost dying on me." A taut silence descended on the two and Green resignedly nodded. "Sparks...Please look after him."

The duo waited for Absol's wrath to descend on them. Red's quadrupled form quivered but he resolutely rooted to his spot. Layla calmly licked her fur flat. No emotion swirled in golden irises.

"Fine." Sparks monotonously replied and the two heaved twin sighs of relief.

Bulbasaur elaborated on his schemes, he wanted to complete his evolution alone, and stated reasons for doing so. According to the gossip floating in the guild vestibule, an evolution is only initiated under a period of meditation. And a special clearing hidden deep within the forest, provided the perfect place. If Red managed to return as an ivysaur, the trio will hit the Dungeon of Envy. Excitement gleaming in his eyes, Bulbasaur pulled a crimson piece of cloth and wound it around Green's neck. "I forgot to tell you," Red chirped whilst Charmander poked the scarf, "we are members of an exploration team now. Team Phoenix!" Bulbasaur shouted. "Sparks and I went on our first job, rescuing a luvdisc from the Dungeon of Lust and with the reward money, I got you the meat." Burdened by fatigue Oak slumped to the ground; a small smile tugged his lips. "Hopefully, we can all go together the next time, dungeon exploration is way better than completing the trials, the mazes are actually quite intriguing and full of surprises if you pay attention." Layla yawned again and the two momentarily stopped conversing and eyed her warily. She ignored them and tucked her head in her paws. Red's enthusiastic chatter filled the evening air, his zealous stories punctuated by Green's mellow laughter. Absol grinded her teeth and exhaled. The duo's antics infuriated her for no particular reason. And she never heard Green laugh so mellifluously before. Their voices rung like bells in her ears and their murmurings lulled her to sleep.

* * *

 **A/N:** Red is still a horrible cook, guess somethings never change. Much gratitude to all those who read and reviewed (and followed/favored the story, you are not forgotten). Please leave feedback and constructive criticism is always appreciated.

At Forevalone: Hey there :) They will be resurrected, but...you'll have to read to find out when :P. At Jack54311: Ahahaha, you flatter me. Possible attraction to Red? Maybe. Although judging from her backstory, she is a good (more than 10 years) older than Red. I'm going more for a platonic friendship between them. But a very deep one. Still, you are open to opinions.


	11. Lonely constellations in the sky

**Lonely constellations in the sky**

Mid-morning

Gehenna

Treasure Town

Regally sitting on her haunches, Layla scanned the street, the sky looked like soiled cotton, bunches of grey clouds dotted the heavens and half shadows danced on the ground. Pokemon hurried about, mouths open in a yawn; some clutched honey whilst others clasped cups of frothed milk or hot coffee. A few monsters crushed their cups and tossed them on the sidewalks; seeing this, Absol growled and they fearfully picked the litter. Wind rattled through gnarled branches and she straightened when the rusting gate creaked open. A paint flake sifted from the wall and settled on Red's back, he whipped around, fright and guilt swirling in wide eyes.

 _What did I do now?_ His face screamed and Layla grinned wolfishly.

On the fourth floor of Treasure Town's guild, Wiggly gasped awake, clenching sweat drenched sheets and gripping his head. Watery eyes swung accusingly to the corner of his garish room till the umbra assumed form. Darkrai materialized; a being of malicious smoke. A cyan eye peered from beneath a white plume. Sitting up in bed, Wigglytuff swallowed and leaned towards his bedstead, reaching for his cup. His hands closed on air. Darkrai teasingly held the ceramic mug and tipped the contents to his lips whilst Wiggly shut his eyes, diluting the anger bubbling in his chest. He heard Gothitelle and Steelix converse in soft tones outside his door and wished to shove the nightmare pokemon aside and sink his teeth in some real food. Day by day, the nightmares worsened. The latest one had him gnawing on Litwick's body however, the convoluted visions were nothing compared to the mental anguish and physical pain cracking his bones. Glaring at Darkrai, who wore a huge collar of crimson teeth and bones, Wiggly pointedly gazed at his treasured mug dissolving in ebony flames. Darkrai grinned, his scarlet necklace inched downwards and the guild master reserved not to stare.

Not to stare.

He looked.

And instantly regretted it.

Gaping into the cavernous black hole of Darkrai's mouth, Wiggly feebly clutched his last dregs of sanity. Any sound gurgling from his open mouth, was sucked by the nightmare offshoot. Stars collided, flames of war stirred. Treasure Town crumbled into disarray, undoing millenniums worth of hard work. Wigglytuff watched his dreams turn into ashes, fat teardrops slid down his face and Darkrai greedily wiped them. The nightmare pokemon eased back, covering the lower part of his face and the guild master fell in his bed, eyes fixed and unblinking.

"Why do you do this to me?" Wiggly asked, a pale eye defeatedly glaring. "I thought we were friends..." The pink pokemon's voice weakened into a whisper. "I liked you better when you came for tea and now every morning when I wake up, you are there, hurting, smirking, making fun. Does it amuse you? That I'm trying to build a better life for others? Do you and Lord Giratina think I'm playing god?" Wiggly wheezed and wished for his team mates to rescue him from the eerily silent nightmare legendary. Darkrai preyed on Wigglytuff's gasps of pain, grinning diabolically at the agony racing down the latter's spine. "Leave me alone. I am tired...I missed my tribute and I'm not letting this town of mine blaze into ashes." The guild master raised his head, staring at the contemplative form of the smoky monster. Darkrai zipped to the edge of the room, an enigmatic smile conveyed through the creases of his timeless face. He drew the curtains, adding a new layer of darkness to the dim room. Smudges of black smoke lingered on the paintings lining the room; images of the previous Team Emblem. One showed a wigglytuff smiling ear to ear with a lucario and tyranitar, other portraits beamed with the radiant forms of a blastoise, golurk, dratini and ampharos. Static smiles and eyes of determination; the nightmare pokemon temporarily blackened their content faces with smears of ebony.

A four poster bed, swaddled with sheets and dusty drapes, dominated the room. Piles of books tottered on a low table and sticks of charcoal bookmarked pages. Darkrai hovered over the texts, flipping books open and reading about shadow energy and magic. Cloning and memories. The Sea of Evocation and Tzion. Fascinating. Shutting the books, he ran long fingers over the covers and the tomes burst into flames. On the bed, a tortured exhale left Wigglytuff's mouth and Darkrai turned. "Friends? I am a deity and you are but a sinning mortal. Do not, for one atomic second, think that we are on the same level," he intoned. The balloon pokemon scowled. "Lord Giratina granted you immortality but you failed to hold fast to your promise," the monster lowly accused, his pleasantly silky voice like water rushing over pearls. "I hoped you would hack the bulbasaur into pieces, but you failed and time is ever running." The dark type curled his hand into a fist. "Capture the bulbasaur and kill it, then you will not wake to my face every morning." Dubious, Wiggly mustered the strength and courage to ask why Darkrai was fixated on Bulbasaur, by law, the guild master could not harm him any longer because he was not the weakest creature in the guild. "That thing...Red, once captured me in a master-ball and I shall never forget the humiliation. Eventually, he descended into insanity, a daily dose of nightmares sped up the process and the psychic trio aided me to twist his mind...I have to thank Uxie and the others later on." Perching on the bed, the deity continued, "Wigglytuff, you best find a new tribute to slaughter and quickly, I do not have the free will to go against Father's wishes." Darkrai placed Wiggly's mug back on the bedstead and the pink beast peered into it.

A tar-esque liquid sloshed in the confines of the cup. "I'm not drinking that." Wiggly frowned and pointed to the cup. "Get rid of whatever you put in there."

Darkrai grinned. "You will drink liquid hellfire if _I_ serve it to you." The legendary monster's form flickered. "I am warning you, I come here due to Giratina's wishes...If you do not want to suffer any longer, you must carry out your promise." Cocking his head to one side, the renegade offshoot listened intently. "Lord Dialga, Father's brother, is here, I must leave."

"Can't you call him uncle?" The guild master sipped the tarry substance, it tasted like hot chocolate, his favorite beverage. "The titan of time is your uncle."

The shadows convulsed as one, letting off a terrible whiff of fear. "No one calls Lord Dialga uncle and lives to tell the tale." Darkrai closed his eye. "You should get plenty of rest. I will leave you comatose tomorrow. Be prepared."

A skew smirk bloomed on Wigglytuff's face and he clutched the mug tightly, cracking it. "I'll bounce back to life once I hear of your humiliating experience." Normally, Darkrai would chuckle, a quiet laugh contrasting oddly with his fearsome presence. This morning he did not, instead, he glued a glowing eye on Wiggly and diffused. Moments later, the door exploded inwards to reveal Rooque, bearing down with a concerned visage, his booming voice prompted Wiggly to sigh and curl his ears. Melody drifted in a second later, holding a tray of breakfast.

Wigglytuff smiled tenderly when the duo crashed on his bed, he peered out the window; the nightmare pokemon's threats singing quietly at the back of his mind.

Rooque, a gargantuan serpent, examined the tired Wigglytuff. Worry shone in Steelix's lazuline irises as he tried to fit his serpentine bulk in the chamber. A string of raw diamonds rotated around his neck, crystalline projections protruded from his body, further hampering his movements, Gothitelle set the tray on the bed and Wiggly moodily slurped the contents of his mug. The portraits hung on the wood paneled walls fascinated Rooque, and he examined the paintings. Age stained some of the images yellow so why in Giratina's name was Wigglytuff standing there with a huge smile on his face? Steelix turned around; the guild master was a giant walking bag of contradictions. A question mark. The bewitching and often dangerous depths of the grey-blue sea. Wiggly never answered any questions about his life and when pressed, he laughed, flashed a brilliant set of alabaster teeth and gaudily claimed he forgot. Shrugging, Rooque coiled at the foot of the bed, lately, his bubbly leader laid around, exhausted and moaning from nervous headaches. He rose, looking like a corpse and refused to sleep unless Melody telepathically hurled him into his bedroom. Right now, an odd look see-sawed on the balloon pokemon's face and Rooque tried to read it, however, reading wigglytuff was nigh impossible. Expressions bloomed and died. Like the stars in the sky, the emotions on Wiggly's face was one too profound to grasp.

A clock ticked in the corner, punctuating the oppressive silence. A bead of sweat dripped off Wiggly's chin and his eyes remained lusterless behind a pair of heavy, hooded eyelids.

"Rooque," Melody called, his voice resonating like a xylophone. "Go to the kitchens and ask buneary for a golden apple, the biggest one they can find, tell them it's for the guild master." Steelix pouted, which was an unpleasant sight given his monstrously flat face, and enquired why Melody could not fetch the apple herself. "Please, stop asking questions and go. Wiggly is in bad shape." Sighing, he slithered out of the musty room and Gothitelle shut the door after him. Alone, she grabbed Wiggly's mug and uttering a languid groan, he relinquished his hold. "What is this?" the psychic demanded, fear washing her irises. "What are you drinking? This looks inedible." Lurching, Wigglytuff grabbed the cup out of her hands and drowned the remaining black liquid. "Did Darkrai visit you again?" she whispered and her eyes snapped to the top of his head where no phantom lifespan hung. "Please tell me what is going on...I am worried about you."

Wigglytuff laughed softly. "Always the worrywart weren't you?" A lopsided smile rolled across his jaw. "Where is Rooque?"

"Downstairs, he went to the eatery and as I predicted, a horde of his fan-girls swarmed over him, we are safe in the meantime." Melody quietly said and opened her eyes.

The guild master placed the cup back on the tray and she pointed to it. "It's a disgusting looking elixir that tastes like hot chocolates and four-leaf cookies." A pause. "Yes, Darkrai visited me and commanded I drink that...It will help me survive the day without passing out. I failed uphold a commitment I made to Lord Giratina and this is my punishment, eh?" Wiggly prattled softly to himself. "How delightfully cruel." Raising his face, he shook his head at Melody's tormented visage. "That look does not suit your pretty face, stop fretting." He waved stubby arms over his head. "I can't die, or did my lifespan miraculously reappear?" Gothitelle confirmed in negative and nudged a donut towards him. "Let me wait for the golden apple, I'm not hungry."

"You need to eat something," Melody insisted. "Rooque is on a mission to rescue an entire team from the Dungeon of Sloth and I'll be with Tamen. He is complaining about the Black Market again." Wiggly snorted. "And you have visitors coming to see you, an absol and bulbasaur. Move into the central area, you don't want them barging into your room do you?" The guild master gazed at the paintings and beheld frozen smiles. Gothitelle drifted out of his gloomy room and Wiggly eyed the selection of food on the tray, his stomach grumbling. Picking a gummi, he nibbled on it and swallowed it with a grimace.

The guild vestibule bustled with new monsters, some of them timid, wide eyed and absolutely lost. Red weaved through the crowd and wondered why Layla saw it fit to escort him. As usual, a glimpse at her unimpressed mien revealed nothing and her amber eyes darted sharply around the foyer, stopping any mischief maker in their tracks. Red missed the presence of Skuntank and his gang, on his first day, the foul smelling pokemon taunted him and disappeared altogether. The realization unnerved him, according to the laws governing Gehenna, once a pokemon completed all the dungeons, they joined the cycle of rebirth. Faces he knew today, may vanish tomorrow. Bulbasaur flashed a brilliant smile at Manectric, whose fur, for once, was flat on his back and not puffed up in anger. The receptionist wagged his tail, slurped a bright green berry smoothie and directed them to the fourth floor. Stone and wooden steps, worn smooth by the passage of time, squeaked under their weight. A cacophony of voices erupted from the second floor and in the eating hall, a bevy of females surrounded a coil of shiny steel, showering the serpent with gifts and kisses. Creeping to the end of the corridor, Layla and Red climbed to Team Emblem's living quarters. The sliding door partition remained open and in the central area, encircled by plush couches and extravagant floor lamps; the duo spied Gothitelle and Wigglytuff, an uncharacteristic trace of hostility twisting his face.

"What brings the two of you here?" Wiggly's expression mellowed and he listlessly chewed on a donut. "I haven't seen Charmander for quite a while, how is he doing? He should be feeling better." Red greeted and plopped next to Wiggly.

Layla sat on the carpet. "Green is recovering. We left him at home to rest. More importantly guild master..." Absol broke off, her amber irises roamed over his face pausing at the ivory scar slashing his eye. "You look terribly tired. Anything troubling you?" Melody's lips twitched and Wiggly guffawed heartily, he patted Red's pink bulb, tossed a big donut to the seed pokemon and replied.

"Anything troubling me? I've got a mountain load of work heaped on my shoulders, from training new recruits to sitting and lending an ear to Tamen's never ending list of atrocities committed in Gehenna," Wiggly stated with a forced smile on his lips. "I also have Team Emblem duties to complete and the market to look after, it is harrowing to be in charge of the guild you know, I can't wait for the day I retire!" Gothitelle coughed and pressed a hand to her forehead. "I feel slightly sick these days so I apologize for you guys having to see me like this, don't worry, I won't kick the bucket yet." Red reached for a cookie on the tray and Wiggly grabbed the biscuit and stuffed it in his mouth. The two momentarily glared at each other till Absol shouted at Bulbasaur to show respect. "So Red, any questions? You have a habit of coming here each time you need answers, the guild has a library you know. It's on the fifth floor. Make good use of your eyes and your brain while you are at it."

Bulbasaur bit back a jibe when Wiggly trembled in pain. "Sorry to bother you, but I need quick answers today." Red shifted on the dragon hide couch, careful not let acid gnaw the luxurious cover. "My evolution," he pointed to the half blooming flower on his back, "is delayed and I'm worried. I want to evolve since we decided to tackle the Trial of Envy later this month and I don't want to be a burden to my team mates." Absol snorted at his words and licked her flank. "I didn't do any research but I heard evolution is acquired by meditation?" Red queried and Wiggly shook his head. "No? Then how? I don't need any special items to evolve so why? My skin turned a shade darker and I have my ivysaur teeth already. Someone in the guild said travelling to a certain part of the forest…" Bulbasaur paused in his narration when Wiggly laughed, a spark of former mirth lacing his face. He cited all of Red's speculations as nonsense and the grass type's expression scrunched in disappointment. "So should I train more? Master Mei is not gonna be happy to see my face after I neglected to show it for a few months," he defeatedly mumbled.

A loud cheer quaked the building and Red, purchase slipping on the couch, tumbled to the floor, his limbs waving comically in the air. Wiggly and Absol ignored his weak pleas of help; Melody lifted him via telekinesis and gently placed him back on the couch. Another minor earthquake swept through the guild, shaking its aged timber and dust rained from the roof. Windows rattled in their panes. Outside, thunder danced across the quilted sky.

Petrichor teased their noses.

Slumping on the settee and secretly grateful for the black sludge Darkrai gave him; Wiggly scribbled a map with a thin stick of charcoal. "Guild vestibule gossip is utter nonsense," he added and laughed sadistically, ducking to avoid a berry hurled to his blind eye. "Evolution is a multi-factorial process in Gehenna, anything and everything goes and training does not always help. I evolved after...My partner died and without the aid of stones. I remember that night clearly-"

"What happened?" Red interjected leaning eagerly towards the guild master.

"None of your business." Wiggly snapped, "...In any case, to force evolution, you must head to Wishing Cave, which is located between the icy mountains to the north and the Beach of Evocation to the west." Bulbasaur nodded sagely and Layla sighed at the clueless idiot. "Head northwest from here and you will find a stretch of lowland forest, beyond that, you will reach Wishing Cave. It is guarded by an ancient Starmie so pay your respects." Folding the map, Wigglytuff handed it to Red who smoothed it open, gawking bewilderedly at the complex directions. "I don't have psychic sense, but something tells me this simple task is beyond you." Bulbasaur shrugged, embarrassed. "Take a partner, preferably some who can read a map," the guild master instructed.

Crimson irises immediately snapped to the crown of jewels resting atop Melody's head. Her willowy movements exuded grace as she carefully turned a page and read a leather bound tome. A myriad of pendants glittered on her body. "Can I take anyone?" Red asked, a sparkle igniting his eyes, Wiggly absentmindedly nodded and crushed a handful of berries in his mouth. "Uh then...How about Me-"

"She won't be able to go with you." Absol cut in and Gothitelle glanced up, an apologetic smile on her face. "Melody is busy and it rude to encroach upon her duties. Go alone, if you can't steer yourself through a small forest then there is no hope for you. You are better off dying." Red pouted sadly and slid downwards. Layla blinked, it felt oddly satisfying to crush his enthusiastic expression. "I am leaving, be sure to come back as an ivysaur or I'm throwing you out." She bowed respectfully to Team Emblem's members and Red waved a thin vine at her. Unsmiling, the disaster pokemon's snow white body vanished down the stairwell.

Afternoon

Treasure Town

Condominium

Two pieces of blackened toast, drowned with a steaming mug of milk, hardly made a delectable breakfast. Green mechanically chewed whilst guilt churned his belly. The phantom aroma of cooking meat teased his nostrils and he briefly let his mind drift and envisioned his teeth sinking into a juicy steak. Inhaling deeply, he forlornly returned to reality. There was no meat in the house and he would rather die than ask Red to get some more. Besides, the streak was expensive and harvested from pokemon stuck in dungeons. Oak's stomach roiled, tossing the last coal black slice into the waste bin he settled with the slate. The door slammed open amidst the sound of bone on stone.

He jumped, his tail igniting and whipped the appendage out of sight. Layla stalked in, fur damp and eyeing him sharply, she demanded why he was not resting in his bed. "I came down for breakfast and I'm bored. It's tiring to sit in a fire place and stare at red walls so I decided for a change of scenery." Green responded and resumed raking his claws.

"Go back to bed; I'm going to the market to inform your boss of your leave. Red...Left." Layla announced and pretended not to see the worry twisting Charmander's features. "I have a patrol in the evening and I can't stay behind if you break out in a fever. Better safe than sorry, go to your room and rest."

"No." Oak snidely hissed, he grabbed his slate and tottered to the veranda on the third floor, leaving an angry, sputtering Absol behind. Grey light greeted Green when he stepped on the platform. From the third story, he observed Layla prowling towards the market. Jade eyes scanned the street and he briefly searched for a green and pink blur before giving up.

No way would he find Red in such a colorful community.

A damp chill descended over the town. Banners and colorful flags fluttered, terror in their movements. Drops of mist clung to Layla's fur and she bounded over the streets, stopping by a crowd of curious onlookers as they watched a budew thrash and wail on the pavement. The grass type's outer covering peeled off, black fire devoured its flesh and charred delicate bones and the pokemon vanished. Muttering, the group dispersed, fear shadowing their faces. Absol's horn tingled and overhead, the sky rumbled. Older pokemon liked to call it Giratina's roar, but, Layla mused if the Lord of the Underworld roared, it would shatter Gehenna into nothingness.

She exhaled, gathered her scattered thoughts and headed east.

A flock of pelipper swarmed the postal tower, their cries juxtaposing with the snarls of the market. Castform, floating on a spire atop the tower, was encapsulated in a teardrop shape of liquid. Careering past the postal service workers, who carried parcels and swept feathers off the streets, Layla halted at Cinccino's mart and entered the store. A minccino growled at her grubby paws and she stared at the cleaning pokemon. The rodent glared back. Passing shelves full of curiosities, her amber eyes swept to a miniature stone bust of ninetails. The sculpture's ruby eyes shone in a preternatural gleam. Tearing her eyes off the handsome effigy, she stood in front of the counter and cleared her throat. An emolga flipped through a file of folk paintings and mumbled about an absent co-worker. Opposite her, a bored pansear drummed its fingers on the counter. Seeing the dark type, the two fixed their postures, beamed and greeted in tandem. "I'd like to see the manager," Layla said and averted her eyes from their bright faces. Emolga apologized and related that Claene stepped out to complete a dungeon. "...Please inform her that Green will be unable to work for the next few weeks." Absol droned and Emolga's face fell. "He is recuperating and will make up for lost time." Emolga squeaked pathetically and reluctantly agreed to forward the message. Pansear tossed Layla a bauble orange and mauve flames.

"It's a gift, tell him to get better," Pansear said and the two cashiers sent Layla away with smiles.

The park smelt of roses, damp grass and Red. Absol inhaled and wrinkled her nose at the smell of lemongrass. Her paws sunk in the carpet of grass and she stopped to admire the marble fountain and Lugia's lustrous scales. The greenhouse emporium, its glass walls foggy, shaded a trio of pokemon. A serperior, her boss and Cinccino. Her instincts instructed her to turn tail; instead, she marched on, fur ruffled and with Tamen's gunmetal eyes boring into her.

"What brings you here? You have a patrol later this eveni-" he began

"Tamen, she probably has a message. Calm down." Cyng cut in with a low, firm voice and Layla's breath caught in her throat. Umbreon blinked. Once. Twice. Then his head dipped to a dish of streaming tea. Not even the guild master of Treasure Town could shut the dictatorial Umbreon like the serperior. "Now, you have something to tell us?" the serpent asked, his expression blank.

Layla bowed in greeting. "Yes," she confirmed, "Red will not attend work today and tomorrow, he is...Currently lumbering around the forests, trying to find the Wishing Cave." Serperior nodded wistfully. "At least...I hope so." Absol sighed. "Please excuse him, he will put in extra hours when he comes back."

* * *

"Where the hell am I?" Red wondered out loud. Scoured tree trunks fenced him from all sides and a dense, green canopy blotted the clouded sky. Shivering, Bulbasaur viewed his surroundings, unlike the forests leading to Lust's Dungeon, this particular stretch of woodland remained fog free. A deathly silence permeated the area; no monsters chirped, and winds howled far away from the quiet clearing. The forest felt unnaturally lifeless and the realization hit Red fully. Gehenna was no Poke-verse. All the monsters inhabiting this place were once human. Criminals. Felons. Detestable beings. There existed a warped order in this chaotic world. Fearfully, he eyed the leaf studded sky and imagined Giratina tearing through the fabric of reality. Red stiffened and cold dread slid down his back.

The world held its breath.

Inhaling deeply, Bulbasaur stared at the map, he was in a small forest near the Beach of Evocation and somewhere in this tangled mess of greenery, lay the Wishing Cave. Rotating the map, he squinted, exhaled despairingly and lumbered in a random direction. Colorful fungus popped over rotting logs and he left deep paw prints on the damp ground. Red frequently peered over his shoulder, frowning at the faintest glimpse of black smoke trailing across scarred bark. Warily crawling underneath a sticky snare of silk, he continued his journey, feeling rather weak due to the lack of sunlight. A brilliant fork of thunder lit the sky, accompanied by an ominous growl and the plant type stared upwards, searching for clues. The heavens offered him nothing save for a single drop of water, which plopped on his nose. Red blinked as more raindrops splashed into his eyes and ran down his cheeks. Starving flowers opened and the earth heaved, releasing petrichor. Rain drummed softly on leaves and showered the ground.

Drenched, Red stood in the clearing, swallowing resentment and tears, he remembered Cyng's words:

 _At times you need to yield, allow yourself to be cut off and trampled on..._

Rain fell. And opening his eyes, he screamed. At everything and everyone. At Layla for being a bossy, jerk of a woman whose face never belied her emotions. At Wigglytuff for being a hypocritical guild master who wallowed in the worship of others. At Giratina. At Arceus for giving him life...And at Green, for dying without putting up a fight. Without hating.

 _Other times, when it comes to standing up for what you believe in, you have to be hard and harsh_. Serperior's words echoed again and Bulbasaur's vocal cords scraped against each other, raw and hoarse. Muttering profanities, he scooped up earth and furiously tossed it aside, mud coating his paws and underbelly. Water filled the hollow and satisfied, he planted himself in it, enjoying the sensation of cold soil against cracked skin. The soothing pitter patter of rain lulled him into a dreamless sleep.

The clouds thinned, no longer the heavy bank of greyish white. Water droplets glittered on tree tops, painted citrine in the light of a setting sun. Awakened by a chilly wind, Red cracked one sleepy eyelid open and hauled himself out of a gross stew of mud, rotting leaves and water. The soft earth refused to release him and he clawed his way out whilst shouting encouragements to himself. Scrambling to solid ground, he shook excess mud off his body and rotated his head; crimson irises fell on a beautiful bud blooming on his back. No longer a dull pink, his bud tinted to a color reminiscent of pomegranate seeds. A delighted buzzing started in his head and he excitedly ogled himself from different angles. Ivysaur, sporting darker, pockmarked skin; thicker vines and the ability to craft healing spores, danced gleefully on the forest floor, spraying mud everywhere. "Hey check it out Green!" He posed in front of a random tree and simpered. "I evolved into an ivysaur without going to the cave. Isn't it great?"

The tree failed to reply.

"...Right...he's not here." Red pouted and peered through numerous trails leading to Mew knew where. "First, I gotta get out of this stupid forest and then, I'll surprise him." A bunch of sunflowers erupted from his back. "Layla and Green will never know what hit them." Humming, he examined the trails, picked the one emitting the most light and disappeared.

Dusk

Treasure Town

Outskirts

In the great expanse of trees marking the southern border of Treasure Town, lay the Dungeon of Envy and Sloth. Pupitar bounced on the floor, next to Layla who scrutinized the forest. She sniffed the air, trying to locate the scent of a girafarig caught stealing from the market. The monster dashed through town, a bag of expensive goods hanging from its teeth, it left a trail of dust and confused pokemon in its wake. A church bell tolled in the distance and a flock of birds exploded to the skies. Ignoring the din, Absol wandered the market, browsing fresh fruit on display. Near her feet, the shadows convulsed and revealed Tamen. Forgetting about her shopping, she listened as he barked a series of orders before vanishing. Casting one last, forlorn look at the juicy produce, she burst out of the open air market, amber eyes predatorily zooming on the long necked thief. Layla chased, her muscles gliding beneath fur and Girafarig spared a second to glimpse behind and bolt at top speed. The tail head released a barrage of confusions and a slew of insults. Layla endured the increasingly derogatory insults with forced calm and leapt; jaws closing over the tail; she served it off the main body and tossed it aside. Girafarig kicked and the hind legged blow caught Layla in her abdomen. She tumbled, landing face first in the village square. The world around her spun in dizzying circles.

By the time Layla came to, the thief was already gone. A pair of gunmetal blue irises regarded her and a new set of orders issued from Tamen's lips. The patrol group nodded as one and scattered. Absol and Pupitar were commanded to search the southern border and she paced restlessly, searching for a hint. However, all of the clues vanished. The sun plunged half way down the horizon and shadows loomed larger than life. Tamen materialized on a rock and Absol faced him. "Bisharp and Liepard found girafarig," he droned and Pupitar bounced faster. "...He is dead. The stolen goods were all over him and his throat...Was slashed open." Layla inhaled sharply, initial astonishment melting to disbelief and questions. Who did this? And why? "I informed Wigglytuff, he went to investigate. As for who and why, I don't know. Gothitelle's psychic link is enormous, it spans almost the entirety of Gehenna but when I asked for a clue, she told me it was ghosts."

Pupitar stopped bouncing. "That is impossible." A heavy, muffled voice issued from beneath his armor plates. "Ghosts can't leave the dungeons. The trial masters maintain their forms…Perhaps she was mistaken?" Tamen thoughtfully scored his claws on a rocky outcropping.

"There are sinister stirrings occurring in Town. The rate of spontaneous combustion is rising and the guild master's failing health is a cause of concern." Umbreon's tail twitched dismissively. "I have to foresee the investigations; the two of you are dismissed." Absol and Pupitar bowed. "Come early tomorrow, we may have to go out on a patrol." Their boss disappeared and Pupitar bounced home. Layla watched her comrade melt out of sight and let out a deep sigh; her shopping trip was ruined thanks to a thieving girafarig. The bizarre incidents in Gehenna hardly moved her, gritting her teeth, she observed the first stars appear. A pale white crescent moon shone like a scar on the rapidly darkening sky and she prowled towards the condominium.

The door opened and shut with a bang. Perking, Green nonchalantly swaggered to the kitchen, his wagging tail drooping when Absol stared at him questioningly. He shrugged, quashing down a bitter sense of loneliness. A selection of sandwiches with various fillings and pitchers of juice filled the table and he listlessly poked the bread, jumping when Layla snarled at him to stop moping and eat. Retrieving a tray from one of the cupboards, Green maliciously piled more than half of the food on the silver salver, he crammed a tankard of honey and a jug of juice; grinning at the aghast Absol, Oak sauntered upstairs, waiting for Layla to explode. Fortunately she remained quiet. Glaring at the fruit, cream and syrupy fillings, Charmander stuffed himself and packed the rest away. Outside the circular window, the heavens tinted to black ink spangled with ivory stars. Belly bulging, Green grabbed a mug of crushed berry juice and wearily climbed the flight of stairs to the third floor. He crept past Absol's room, no light spilled from underneath the door and Oak wondered if she was already asleep. Sliding the door aside, he stepped on the cool veranda and scowled. Layla raised her head, regarded him disinterestedly and gaped at the heavens. His private time threatened, Green moodily slouched next to her and daintily sipped from his huge mug.

"Red isn't back."

 _Thank you Ms. Obvious, I didn't notice_. Green snarked silently and ignored her. She opened her mouth and closed it. After an internal struggle, Layla added:

"Do you think he is okay on his own? I mean, this is Red we are talking about." She turned her golden eyes towards Oak who stirred the contents of his mug with a polished claw.

Charmander slurped juice, counted the stars and then graced Absol with a response. "Red is fine, he is more than capable of doing what he sets out to do. Unlike what you think." He spat softly. "He will return sooner or later and he'll probably annoy me by sprouting a whole bunch of flowers in my face." A hint of a smile graced Green's face and melted. "And what's up with you? For a moment there you sounded concerned for him." Layla nodded and Green smirked. "What? You're worried? That's news, next thing I know, you're falling for him." The dragon scoffed and brought the mug to his lips.

"I might...Have feelings for him." Absol mumbled and half of the juice tipped into Green's lap instead of his open mouth. His eyebrows shot up, past his nonexistent hairline and he gawked. "Gotcha." Layla threw her head back and laughed. Conch shells bumped against raw gemstones and trilled in the night air. "For someone who scrutinizes everything, you sure fell easily for my bluff." The disaster pokemon simpered and Oak irritably licked the juice from his forepaws. "Hmm, I wonder when was the last time I joked like that?" Green cursed under his breath and whilst Layla's laugh sounded absolutely endearing for someone who perpetually frowned, he did not appreciate the joke. It almost gave him a heart attack.

Almost.

An amiable silence stretched between the two.

"I...Apologize for my conduct in the Dungeon of Pride." Green whispered. He remembered his movements and it felt like he watched a movie. His actions belonged to someone else entirely. From disregarding Red's various pleas to outright ignoring Layla's rational judgments, Charmander deeply regretted his behavior; he was powerless over his mind. "I found it very difficult to take control of myself. I merely observed from the other side like to a mindless puppet." Layla studied him; Green adopted an absentminded habit of scouring his claws on the slate. "From now on, I resolved to try and do my best in the upcoming quests...I never realized the potency of the trials till I experienced first-hand...the temptation of pride. I drowned in my arrogance and choked on my ego."

 _I am sorry._

Pain throbbed through Absol's horn but she smiled and dipped her head warmly. Angst evaporated off Green's face and the returned the smile with a shy one of his own. Overhead, stars twinkled and clustered together, connecting into odd lines. The duo counted the heavenly bodies silently; each absorbed in their thoughts. One by one, the lights in Treasure Town winked off, leaving the hamlet at the mercy of a crescent moon. Tired but not in the mood to return to an empty house, Green lurched sideways and fell against Layla's flank. Her fur, smooth and delightfully warm; prompted him to shuffle closer. Absol made an odd rumble in her throat. Much like a purr. She did not shove him off to stalk back to her room, instead, she rested her head on folded paws and closed her eyes.

"Good night Green." Layla breathed.

Green buried his face in her coat. There was something comforting in her glossy fur that made him want to curl up and fall into a comatose sleep. He envisioned warm fires and Grandpa. "Night Layla."

 _Good night Red._

They simultaneously murmured.

* * *

 **A/N:** Normally I post on a Thursday, but it seems I've lost track of time somehow. Anyway, as usual, thanks to all those who read and review. Your feedback is always appreciated. At Jack54311: The thing with Wiggly swept under the rug? You think so? Heh. Personally, I liked writing Tamen and Serperior. I don't know why, they are complex characters and difficult to write. My favorite character in here is Tamen and (well I wouldn't wanna give you spoilers)


	12. Envy suggests inferiority

**Envy suggests inferiority**

Fire flickered in a granite heath before a man seated on a stool. Black hair streaked with silver, his gold framed spectacles reflected orange flames and a pipe stem hung from his lips. Mauve irises flew lazily over words inked on yellowed parchment, a pachirisu curled in his lap and he stroked the creature fondly. From the kitchen, a banette slunk into the cozy living room with a tray full of warm biscuits dusted with cinnamon and caramel sugar. The man smiled, licked his parched lips and lifted a hot cookie off the pan. He inhaled. Wood smoke and aromatic spice tickled his nostrils. The biscuit steamed, fogging his glasses. Wooden logs crackled loudly, their snaps echoing in the small cabin. A bite of the cookie sent a burst of flavors rolling across his tongue. He was five years old again, playing with pachirisu underneath the maple woods in autumn. Colorful leaves rained from the sky.

In the kitchen, Malus dusted her hands on the apron. The clear window reflected her wrinkled face back to her and she touched her cheeks. Banette tottered back with the cookie sheet and the she scraped the biscuits off and dumped them into a waste-bin. In the lounge, her husband gurgled and she imagined him convulsing.

"Malus...What did you do to me?" He cried, the woman did not reply and the man's strangled wails quieted. A chair toppled and Pachirisu squeaked desperately. From her apron pocket, Malus retrieved a gun and pointed the barrel to her temple. Banette watched, emotion flaring in its normally apathetic irises. The dark creature waved its arms and leapt, trying to wrestle the weapon away from its master. Unfortunately, Malus kicked and the pokemon soared through the kitchen, landing on the living room rug. Banette gently pushed the fretting pachirisu off and sailed towards the kitchen, pleading for its master to come to her senses. The female caressed the gun, a crazy smile threating to split her face. She pointed it at her temple and her pokemon howled. Bang. Her head, her hand, jerked back and banette stilled, zipper mouth curling into a frown and burying yellow eyes in its palms. A metallic whiff permeated the air, blood dried on the windows and the wooden counter, dusted with flour and biscuit dough scraps. The oven emitted heat. Malus lay on the rough flooring of the tiny bungalow, a sadistic smile on her wrinkled face and stiffened fingers hooked around the trigger. Outside, snow steadily fell, blanketing the woods in a sheet of pure white.

Inside a tiny maisonette, six children and two adults bustled. A fanfare played on the street and five daughters eagerly pressed their faces against the grimy windows and sighed as the procession marched. The girls shoved each other, fought and claimed for space whilst Malus watched; she carefully placed a dented pail of water at the entrance of the room and gingerly picked up her older sister's compact. The mirror reflected a freckled face, brown dots sprinkled over nose and cheeks. A snarled hedge of brown hair stuck in odd angles and she attempted to smooth the wire strands into an acceptable ponytail. Her eldest sister turned from the window, all porcelain pale skin and blue inkpot eyes, she observed Malus powdering her cheeks. Quickly, the youngest daughter put the powder away, apologized, grabbed the bucket and hurtled down the rickety stairs. Rosa sighed and dolorously stared in the mirror. The other sisters chittered in the cramped room, falling over bunk beds and scrambling to the wardrobe to salvage their best frocks. A loud clang issued from downstairs and leaving her sisters to scream at each other, Rosa delicately stepped to the first floor as her parents rebuked Malus on another accident.

"You never do anything properly!" Mother shouted and the girl flinched, bunching her patched dress in grubby hands. "Clean up the mess and do it quickly. My goodness look at you! Have you brushed your hair yet?" Malus mumbled a reply and stared at a dark stain decorating the distasteful carpet. "Do it quickly and wear something more appropriate, I'm sure one of your sisters might have a dress for you. Hurry up, we have to be in the Town Square before mid-morning, I want to see the parade..." Mother's words faded as she searched for a new target to whale on. Alone in the empty lounge, Rosa grabbed the pail and urged Malus to change. The golden eyed girl sighed and stared at the paintings on the wall. A mismatch of pseudo-leather couches crowded around a coffee table and electric lights burnt in elaborate coverings. The carpet, a nauseating shade of green, choked on a layer of dust and wallpapers peeled, revealing mold and damp.

Grabbing a cleaning towel, Rosa knelt on her fair knees and scrubbed the carpet. "If mother sees you cleaning, she will yell at me again. You go and change and I'll clean up." Malus dourly stated but made no move to help her older sister.

"Don't be silly. Go and get dressed, ask one of the twins to do your hair and make-up. When I'm finished, I'll give you one of my dresses." Rosa smiled; pale pink lips a perfect complement to her face, "Hurry up now, before mom returns." Malus refused to move; she stood for a couple more seconds, muttered and ran to the bathroom. Inside the cramped space, the girl stood on tip toes and checked her reflection in the mirror. Those freckles smiled back at her and angrily, she scoured her face with soap, praying for the brownish dots to fall off. Slinking out of the bathroom, she saw her parents snatching the cleaning tools away from Rosa and pushing the willowy daughter to change. The fair skinned female laughed and Malus scowled.

She hated her.

She hated everyone.

Sniffing, she wound her way upstairs and sat on a moth eaten mattress. Her other sisters eyed her, one pressed a pretty ribbon in Malus' hands and the other jeered. Another one ignored the commotion playing in the room and applied lipstick on puckered lips. Refusing help, she tied her hair with a pale blue ribbon, smattered powder on her face and glumly joined her sisters, marching towards the square. Mother prattled; she smoothed the creases in Rosa's dress, tightened the ribbons on the twin's ponytails and graced the other sisters with gushing compliments. Malus received a warm one from her gangly father, a worn top hat balanced over his balding head. Seedot floundered next to the family, trying its best match their hurried pace and Malus ignored her father and stalked. Drums and cymbal clashes reached her ears as the Town Square loomed in view. Banners and flags fluttered in a breeze and all sorts of crowds flocked to the parade; from beggars with ripped trench coats to fine gentlemen, one, which currently stared at Malus with a pair of intense, chartreuse eyes.

A flush spread across her powdered cheeks and she curled her fingers towards her palm, hiding chewed nails. The man weaved between the gatherings and panicking, Malus piloted her gaze elsewhere. A roar filled her ears, part drums and part frantic heartbeat; she brushed wisps of hair backwards and demurely lifted her gaze. Handsome young man smiled, did a sharp turn to the right and suavely started a conversation with the radiant Rosa. Malus' breath puffed in a cloud. Slowly, she unclenched her hands and blinked. Tears pooled at the edges of her eyes and irritably, she flicked the moisture away.

The handsome young man, with his easy going smile, proposed to Rosa. Mother was over the moon with happiness and Malus pined away. Her hatred for the eldest sister reached a crescendo. Rosa appeared like an angel in a frilled wedding gown. Church bells rang, guests whispered congratulatory phrases. Gossip festered in the streets and Rosa...left the too tiny maisonette for good.

Malus hoped never to see her perfect sister ever again.

Unfortunately, her other sisters were not too kind to her.

No one was kind to her, apart from the eldest daughter and father. And both of them...Were gone.

A plain gravestone marked her father's resting place. Mother wailed and blew her nose on a hole studded handkerchief. The day her father died, the sun shone bright in a cloudless sky. On the burial day, a sheet of rain poured from heaven's gates. Seedot wept, crouched near the coffin, tears and rain dripped down its anguished face. The funeral service concluded quickly and guests flooded their small home, bearing gifts and consolations. The aroma of hot coffee, cinnamon and dust, perfused the lounge. Voices bled day and night, from the streets and telephones, from men and woman with their unsympathetic smiles. Malus worked her back off whilst Mother shouted and her sisters powdered their faces. Like birds leaving the nest, all of her elder siblings were presented to influential men. Malus chewed her nails and scrubbed her face in an effort to rid herself from the freckles. The dots sprinkled across her cheeks only lightened in winter, her favorite season; and bloomed across her face during summer. She despised summer, the season of warmth and growth. Winter, with its cruel grip of ice and suffocating mists, enthralled her and she spent long moments walking through frosty streets and searching for the exotic plant specimens surviving the harsh snowfall. Blood red berries peeked from beneath shiny, olive green leaves, their juices poisonous and acrid. Flowers, crinkled petals a delicate lilac, hung inconspicuously on stems. Pokemon zealously avoided the foxgloves and as an experiment, she force fed the family Seedot a handful of those lilac blossoms.

They found the acorn shaped beast rigid on the door step. Dead as a doornail.

She disliked the color purple. And the new postman who smiled widely when he delivered the morning paper. The previous post master distributed the news with a face creased with worries and debts and his voice a labored whisper. The current one bounced full of energy, he imparted a cheerful smile and a greeting so loud, it throbbed her eardrums. His eyes were heliotrope. At times he arrived early in the morning, breath steaming in the chilly air; other times he arrived later, a bright red maple leaf riding his cap. Often, came with presents and these ranged from expensive slices of moist chocolate cake, displayed behind the glass windows of the local bakery, or some obscure, vividly colored flower he snagged from the country side. Mother liked him. The man was courteous and helpful. Malus regarded him with caution, suspicious of his ulterior motive and avoided him to the best of her ability. This proved to be rather difficult when mother constantly invited the postman to spend dinner with them.

One afternoon, she arrived from her daily stroll to find the house locked and the postman on the front porch, guzzling biscuits from a large glass canister tucked under his arm. Snapping her parasol shut, Malus, head held high, reluctantly parked herself next to the male, eyes fixed on the street. Cars honked, their exhausts puffing black smoke. Wrought iron lampposts cast shadows on the tarred surface of the road. Pokemon strained their leashes whilst their owners conducted conversation and gnashing her teeth, Malus irritably clenched her hands, head snapping to the left, she demanded, "What are you staring at?"

"You?" The post man cheekily grinned and licked powdered sugar off his fingers; he reached into his cookie jar and crammed another treat into his mouth. "Want some?" He offered and the spicy aroma of cinnamon wafted from the canister. She sniffed haughtily and jerked her head in the opposite direction. Her disdain for the man did not stop him from shifting closer and growling, she shifted. He blithely followed her till they sat squashed in the corner of the threshold. Ignoring him with the entirety of her will power, Malus wondered about Mother's return home; another second with this country bumpkin will drive her mad. Inhaling, she froze when the man reached over and lightly traced the constellation of freckles over her nose and cheeks. "They look like clusters of stars." He softly murmured and her eyes darted up to meet his purple ones. "Or…brown sugar and spots of cinnamon powder over cookies!" He laughed and leaned back. "My favorite." Malus looked away.

She hated him.

No.

She envied him; his carefree laughter despite his family's poor status. The way his smile set her stone cold heart aflame. He wore a patched cap and worn jeans; a bevy of females followed him around town and try as she might, Malus could not help feeling jealous over the girls' superior complexions and looks. Spotless faces and hair the color of golden hay. Yet, the obtuse postman sat next to her every afternoon, relating stories about the countryside and his pet pachirisu. And on the days he felt brave, he traced her freckles and she slapped his hand away.

When they married, people whispered poison and it wormed into her ears. Rosa's heartfelt happiness sowed seeds of resentment in Malus' heart. The golden eyed female peeked at her brother in law, resplendent with Rosa at his side. He wore a form fitting suit, blue-black hair neatly slicked to the side, unlike the postman and his patched clothes. Malus' husband cupped her freckled cheeks in rough hands and beamed like the sun. "Don't listen to them." He murmured, his breath smelling like honey. "I'm sure we will be happy together." A bestial thrill of delight went through her when she spied one of the town beauties eyeing her maliciously. The blonde's eyes repeatedly snapped to the postman and his lilac eyes. To drive home her position as his wife, Malus coyly wrapped her arms around him. The woman blinked back tears, smiled shakily and fled the church.

They moved to a homely cabin in the country. Her husband loved to laze the afternoons in the lakes and underneath the tall pines surrounding their hamlet. All her other sisters lived in the big city and Malus hated to be the only one in the rural village. He did not seem to mind the place but repeatedly assured her that when they have enough money, they will move to the city. The entire village loved her husband and she despised the people's carefree attitudes and boisterous jokes. Many times she contemplated running away and living alone in some obscure part of the city, far from her mother, sisters and their husbands. When the family gathered for a memorable evening, Malus spent most of her miserable time ogling her sister's fancy dresses whilst she picked on her home made gown. They smiled and giggled. She bubbled, acid in her veins. Years passed and she became an aunt to a whole horde of fair faced, bright eyed boys and girls. They fretted over their postman uncle and his ursaring-skin cap whilst he gifted them flowers, countryside cookies and pressed maple leaves.

One evening she snapped. Her husband read softly in the lounge whilst wood crackled in the granite heath and oven where she backed a batch of his favorite cookies, their sugary insides laced with digitalis. Banette, an anniversary gift from her man, grinned widely and bounced in the kitchen. She looked back on her marriage, silently applauding the lilac eyed man for loving her. Hands thrust in apron pockets, Malus stroked the gun, hands quivering when the heavenly aroma of fresh cookies diffused in the kitchen. Heaving the pan out, she waited for it to cool slightly and Banette twirled away, steaming sheet clasped in its hands. The monster came back with one less cookie. In the adjacent room, her husband gurgled and stilled. Malus wiped tears, forcing a wide smile on her mouth. Her entire life was a living lie, everyone around her despised her, they whispered hate behind her back. Banette flailed and with a psychotic grin plastered over her amber eyes and face, Malus pulled the trigger.

Bang.

* * *

Mid-afternoon

Treasure Town

Condominium

In spite of his brave words, Green worried when Red failed to come home. Dawn rolled over the sleeping hamlet and with it; Oak roused up from his slumber and hung out of his circular window. Layla left, groggily muttering about an early morning patrol and she bounded to the south. Famished, Charmander lay on the circular windowsill; drooping tail scorching the mosaic tiles. His growling stomach prompted him to hurtle downstairs and grab a seed loaf before resuming his position on the sill. The fire type listlessly munched the dry bread and watched pokemon crowding the streets. He exhaled, preparing to lie on the window till Red arrived home.

The gate leading to their flat creaked and Green perked. Through the rusting bars he spied a dubiously familiar bud and unthinking, he scrambled off the ledge. Two stories was a long way to fall. Flailing, he collided violently with the cracked pavement and Ivysaur screeched. "Green! Holy Mew are you alright?" He shuffled forward. "You jumped from the second floor." Charmander heaved off the ground, leaving a streak of orange blood; Ivysaur hulked up to him, his vines wriggling. "Are you that happy to see me?" Red grinned, revealing a set of finger sized teeth. "Hold a second, I'll patch you up." Green protested and tried to run, his best friend's healing spores were often preluded by disaster. A cloud of emerald dust rained on him and Green marveled at the sight of knitting skin and fading bruises. His lips twitched to a full blown smile and Red sniffed. "I missed you! Do you know how difficult it was to navigate through the forest without help?" he wailed. "I got stuck in a hollow I created! And I stumbled over a shady place crawling with mushrooms and weird ghost type thingies. I was so hungry and I swear I heard a voice yelling at me not to eat them...the voice sounded suspiciously like you by the way...But my hunger got in the way and I nibbled a mushroom and guess what?" Charmander's eyes narrowed in anger, his face sat flush against Ivysaur's pockmarked hide. "I hallucinated. Wiggly came after me with a machete and-"

"Red." Oak's tone pulsed threateningly. "Put me down and peel my face off your cheek, my jaw is numbing from your poison." Reluctantly Red put Green down and rubbed his burning cheek. "So..." Charmander circled Ivysaur. "Congratulations on evolving, did you find the cave?" The grass type shook his head, a scintilla of pride in his scarlet irises. "Oh? So you evolved on your own? Awesome." Green exhaled. "I suppose I should work hard to catch up...You are always one step ahead of me." Red eased his bulk next to the sullen dragon and showered sunflowers over Green who for once, did not burn them into ashes. An amiable silence stretched between them. "You must be hungry," Charmander motioned Red to the door, "let's go inside and get something to eat." Red shook his head. "Huh? Did you eat something on the way here?"

Ivysaur simpered disturbingly. "Colorful mushrooms." He blathered. Scowling, Green demanded where he found the questionable fungi and why he ate them.

"I bet he found them at the entrance leading to Envy's dungeon." Layla's strident voice interjected and she weaved through the gate. "Nice to see you Red," she acknowledged the newly evolved Ivysaur. "But if you come any closer, I'll behead you." Red stiffened and hid himself behind the smaller charmander. "That won't work anymore, Green is too tiny." Layla grinned. Oak glared at her, grabbed a fistful of the foliage on Red's back and angrily stomped into their flat.

A thick vine looped around Absol's forepaw and she blinked in surprise. Grinning deviously, Red reeled his appendage. With a shriek, in which Charmander and Ivysaur collectively agreed sounded like music to their ears, Layla hurtled through the air and landed with a painful thump on the kitchen's tiled floor. Her eyes spat fire.

 _You two have a death wish don't you?_

* * *

Night

Gehenna

Dungeon of Envy

Green eyed monster, the first line of the trial marker poem read. "Does this Malus ghost mean Green?" Red enquired and received glowering glares from his peers.

"Shut up and read." Oak hissed and eyed his friends. They collectively craned their necks in the dungeon vestibule, a room so bizarre, it put Gallade's baby doll thing to shame. The floor, a black and white check, contrasted oddly with the spindly trees growing out of the walls. Fungi clustered the base of the ceramic board bearing the trial marker poem.

Green eyed monster

How wonderfully poisonous

Murder thy brother

Over something you cannot have

Green eyed monster

Beautiful and deadly

Actions dripping with invisible poison

Wreathed with tender words

Bristling with thorns

Piercing hearts, death and decay

It brings.

The trio exchanged panicked glances. Green's eyes glazed in anxiety and his flame tail dimmed whilst Red smiled assuredly and nudged the dragon; the duo peeked at Layla whose irises clouded in palpable fear as they raced over the text several times. Her ragged breathing echoed in the foyer. Ivysaur rummaged in his satchel and produced a piece of crinkly parchment, grinning widely; he placed the sheet flat on the ground. Astonishingly, Layla prowled over and stabbed the innocent piece of paper with her eyes. Confused, Oak ogled at it. Nothing happened. "I hate to interrupt whatever you two are doing..." Green gingerly spoke, shattering the all-consuming silence, "but why are we staring at this paper?"

Red nodded, "I knew it wouldn't work. " He rolled the blank document and stowed it away, glaring at Layla. "This is your fault, I told you to wait for a few days but do you listen?" Absol bared her fangs and growled a string of accusations and Red bristled. "Becoming a fallen one?" he shouted, "you only become a fallen one if you give up on the idea of NOT completing the dungeons!" Ivysaur's guttural yells bounced on the walls, a razor leaf whistled out of his back and buried itself in the space behind Layla. "Sparks, you know, sometimes you are an even bigger prick than Green." Oak resignedly plopped to the floor. "I evolved not even a week ago and my body control is out of whack. It made sense to tackle Envy later, why are you so much in a hurry anyway?" Absol ignored him. "Look, I don't really care about your issues, but the three of us are going together." Red's tone dropped into a deadly whisper and his eyes flickered towards Green, who regarded him calmly. "The paper is part of the dungeon exploration's kit; we used it when rescuing Luvdisc. It revealed Lust's floor plans so I thought… guess it doesn't work unless you are rescuing someone...Or maybe you have to visit the dungeon first?" Red pondered, rubbing a vine under his chin.

To the seed monster's utter dismay, the moment he evolved, his body control unraveled. Ivysaur pitched in for work, standing tall when Cyng quietly applauded his efforts. Eager to get back into the thick of things, Red ambled towards his workstation; he pulled a pot plant close to him. And shattered the rest. Vines rocketed out of his pomegranate bulb, spearing into every available surface. Some buried into Serperior's body. Apologizing profusely, Red wilted to the ground, his mouth falling open at the carnage. Cyng fixated blank, crimson eyes on his bleeding wounds and synthesized healing spores. Ivysaur bolted out of the greenhouse emporium, trailing apologies. He made a beeline for the mart, stiffened at the thought of causing more mayhem and eventually crawled to the guild for help.

"..." Wiggly eyed the seed monster and the glittering, grass serpent blood streaked on darkened skin. "You stabbed your employer?" the guild master asked and Red's twitched in annoyance. "Hmm...Don't go telling everyone, if Tamen hear-"

"It was an accident." Red seethed as Wigglytuff dismissed his trainees. "It just happened. I mastered the use of my vines but I'm back to square one as an Ivysaur. I can control them but in the middle of maneuvering they shoot in random directions."

The guild master leaned on a walking stick. "Sounds bad."

"It is bad!" Ivysaur exclaimed exasperatedly. "And do you know the worst part? Sparks wants to complete a dungeon next week; I need a quick fix, so help me."

Wigglytuff exhaled. "If everything could be solved with quick fixes, then we wouldn't have so many problems. Your best bet is to re-train yourself in body control." Red opened his mouth to protest and Wiggly whacked his staff on Ivysaur's blooming bulb. "Mienshao's dojo is closed for a while, so no luck there...Why don't you try going through Envy's trial? Pressure forces growth, you might find your control returning after a good run in the vault."

In hindsight, it was not only Layla's fault, Ivysaur mused as they filed out of the dungeon's foyer and followed Absol through a long, marshy corridor. Thick, black cables zigzagged through open spaces, their ends engulfed in the knotted vines making up the walls.

At dawn, Layla and Green reluctantly followed Red as he led them through the north-western forest. To their amazement, he accurately steered them through tall trees and they speedily stumbled upon the entrance of the trial. In a humungous clearing, where weak sunlight cast a halo on the horizon, they found a gigantic oak tree. The tree's trunk and branches tangled with car tires and carcasses of metal; bones and pieces of skeleton. Sturdy roots meshed with dusty stone columns and rods of steel poked through concrete pillars. The trio cautiously wound their way through the sea of fungus and pretty flowers and came up short to the jumble of roots and tree trunks arching into an entrance. More colorful mushrooms and orbs of ghostly, heliotrope light danced in the entrance. Green sneezed loudly; an ember escaped his nostrils the fungi shriveled. The spheres of light eerily wailed and convulsing, Red's bud burst open, vines speared into the light, fungi and grazed Layla's flank.

The duo screamed at each other till Green cut through them and entered the maze.

A stone tiled conduit emptied into a low ceilinged room. Crawling into the chamber cautiously, the group gawked at the checkered floor and the bare trees growing out of the walls. The trial marker poem spoke of jealously, envy and the actions defining it. Ruminating on the lines, they ventured deep into the twisted maze of gnarled trees and grey flowers. The paths turned into mushy strips of land and swamp pools hissed toxic fumes. Unlike the previous two trials, Malus' dungeon was not pretty. Absol sniffed the air, retching when a sulphurous smell assaulted her nose. The air stank like a sweaty Green and large bubbles popped over the brownish pools of sludge dotting the swamp. Striped mushrooms grew everywhere. Rings of toadstools surrounded black grass and the swamp banks. Stopping, Charmander experimentally plucked a string crisscrossing the air and froze.

The rest of the strings vibrated uncannily and pulled monsters buried within the vine choked walls. A golden sarcophagus thudded to the ground in front of them. Threads pulled and maneuvered the cofagrigus upright. Its limbs waved placidly, a coffin on strings. Glowing eerily, the specter launched an attack; arm bent at an unnatural angle, it shot past Red, grabbing for Green. Charmander flipped to the side and bounced back when the cables forced the golden monster to run after him. Cofagrigus' jerky movements unnerved Green and he roared a flamethrower. From behind, Red wrapped vines around the sarcophagus, cementing it into place. Absol smashed her head into the lid, cracks spread from the point of impact and the coffin disintegrated. Huffing at the pathetic excuse of an enemy, the trio congratulated themselves and with heads held high, traversed through the gloomy corridors with renewed confidence. Straggling at the back and eyes peeled for precious Pecha berries, Red, a phantom sense compelling him to look backwards, rotated. A heap of glittering, bright yellow fragments littered the path and he wondered why the sarcophagus did not puff into smoke. Shrugging, Red waddled and paused once more.

Cofagrigus did not move, but he could not shake the ominous feeling off his back.

The threads tethered to the golden bodied pokemon vibrated and the fragmented pieces glued together. Uttering a ghastly moan, Cofagrigus hefted upright and surged at them. Screeching in fear, Red bounded into the trees. A smoky hand, clawing for Layla's rapidly darting from, froze in pursuit and doubled back for Ivysaur. Red thrashed in the confines of a chokehold, kicking up mud. His vines repeatedly stabbed the putty ground and the coffin relinquished its hold, before thrusting the plant type into a pond of hissing acid. Red gasped painfully when the liquid lapped his skin. Green set the surrounding vegetation on fire, skirted around the burning ghost type and held an arm out. Ivysaur wrapped a tendril around Charmander's forearm and his irises veered to Layla, standing behind Green. Wearing a blank face, she neatly kicked the dragon into the acidic swamp and roaring ominously, he fell into the festering pool. Cofagrigus' shattered fragments twitched on the muddy strait. Slack jawed, Ivysaur searched the opposite bank for a flash of white fur, but Layla's presence eluded him.

Only when Green cursed, did Red snap from his trance. Lips pressed into a grim slash; he pulled his companion out of the acrid fluid and flung him to safety. Oak squeaked profanities, tinny voice lacking heat as he smacked into an ash grey tree trunk. Grunting, Ivysaur sloshed to land, each step through the bubbling fluid leaving a fresh sting of pain. He climbed out and vainly wiped the excess acid off his skin. The fire type rolled on a patch of grass and the duo ogled each other, eyes tracing over burns.

"You look like steak fried wrong." Oak sniffed and crossed his arms. "A green, moldy steak with burns all over."

Ivysaur glowered, his bud hungrily sucking the dismal light in the dungeon. "And you look like a stuffed dragon doll in desperate need of a re-stuffing and stitching. I can see your flesh through your open skin." Red looked away, doubt creeping into his heart. Where was Layla? Did she really push Green into the acid pool?

Charmander bristled. "Tch," he snorted. "...Who pushed me into that swamp?" he demanded. There was a time the fire type towered over his best friend, alas, all that changed. "I distinctly felt something propelling me forward." In the undergrowth, glowing amber fragments quivered and slowly inched together. "That cofagrigus?" Green paused. "I'm pretty sure I burned it into a goop of molten gold...In any case, where is Sparks?"

Sparks. Red inhaled and searched frantically for the sinister rattle of Layla's bone necklace. Charmander prodded, screwing a wicked claw through Ivysaur's emerald skin when he failed to reply. "I...Didn't see who pushed you in. All of a sudden you came tumbling down and-" he broke off when Oak raised his eyebrows in disbelief. "Fine...Layla did it." Charmander's rigid stance slackened and his arms hung to the sides. "But maybe I saw things. You know, hallucinations." Red stared at the ground and laughed weakly, "I mean, she wouldn't do that would she?"

 _Would she?_

Puppet strings flashed in the light emitted by a white washed sky. More ghosts erratically climbed out of the walls, heads jerking unnaturally and movements unpredictable. Gengar and muk climbed out of the acid pools and surged, leaving streaming grass in their wake. With twisting movements, the specters struck, flailing their limbs and shooting projectiles in random directions. Red ducked when a shadow ball flew over his head, smashing into a duskskull's face. Flipping in midair, Green spat a fireball, the sphere of flames crashed into the clearing and the puppets shrieked, reforming and dancing around the bonfire; their forms melting and contracting. Oak studied them, noting a pattern in their movements. A barrage of brilliant spheres ground the mess of twitching limbs into dust. A solar beam from Ivysaur's bud seared the gloomy area and Green shielded his eyes. When the glow died, a mass of severed parts flapped in muddy ground. Like magikarp on dry land. The duo glared at each other and Oak pointed a furious claw at the disturbing mess on the floor. Strings pulled apart and sluggishly pieced the dungeon ghosts back together.

"What?" Red demanded, "I can't let you hog all the fun."

Angry howls resonated through the toxic air. Oak breathed shallowly, poison worming into his core. "Fun?" Charmander barked and irritably raked his claws. "I am trying to minimize energy loss and get through this dungeon in one piece, what part of me hawking up a fire ball did you find fun?"

"Minimize energy loss?" Red grinned crookedly. "Since when did you start being modest? I'm touched. The great Oak has a humbling experience is it?"

Oak exhaled steam, tail thrashing from side to side and skin tingling purple. "The heck do you want?" he feebly asked and sprinted whilst clutching his tail when a half arm hopped at him. "Get down here, we need to advance-" He abruptly swerved to the side when a vine lashed over his face. "Hey! Watch where you swing that thing."

Red swung downwards, crimson eyes reduced to covetous pinpricks. "Stop acting like you care." He rumbled throatily. "Privileged morons like you won't understand what...What..." Ivysaur shook his head and a flurry of emotions passed his face. Confusion. Anger. Mortification. And he desperately wrestled with the expressions. "Che, I forgot what I wanted to say..." He eyed Charmander and the latter impassively shrugged. "I guess we should look for Sparks...I wanna know why she thought pushing you in a pool of acid was a great idea." Behind them, the dungeon slaves popped their shoulders and organs back in place, a swell of unnerving chatter buzzing from them. Red cursed. "I grinded them into dust, they should be poofing into smoke by know. Zapdos! Do each of these dungeons have a new surprise? I hate surprises." He dashed, blindly following Green's flame tipped tail as it bopped through the undergrowth. The duo carefully tottered over a smoking pond of yellow, simmering fluid and squeezed through an inconspicuous hole leading to the next area. The tunnel bore down on all sides and dripped a foul smelling liquid. Skin sizzling, the blindingly dark space spat them in a similar chamber and Green ignored Red who tumbled on his back and waved stubby extremities in the humid air.

Bare trees obscured their vision. With great difficulty, Ivysaur righted himself and spotted a patch of colorful mushrooms. Glancing at Green, who was preoccupied with scouring their current area, he wormed his way through the tangle of branches, face splitting into a grin when he spied a berry bush laden with Pecha berries. Fishing a jar from his satchel, he stripped the bush and crammed the fruits into his jar. Another peek at his comrade showed Oak stewing. Red ogled the bright fungi on the ground, inhaled the poisonous spores and opened his mouth for a bite. He barely closed his jaws over an aubergine mushroom when Green's gruff voice throbbed through the room. Mechanically, the grass type pokemon turned to see the dragon kid reduce the mushrooms into puffs of dust and with a cruel, self- satisfied smirk; Oak jerked his head to the center of the room. He rotated, flame tail blazed and pouting, Red dragged himself after the dragon, careful not to touch the cables slashing the air.

A flash of white fur slithered through the twisted branches.

The duo stilled. Charmander crouched to the floor, combing the undergrowth though predatory eyes. Splashes of color brightened the sable areas. Vivid spores floated in the air. A rattle of bone resounded to his left and Green whipped, tail thrashing. Shells and gems twinkled and orange embers flying from his nose, Green rocketed from his position, tearing through obstacles and gaining on the absol bounding away. Layla dissolved into a puddle of shadows and like a cat, Oak pounced on the sneaking shapes, aggressively clawing at the strands. Three turgid vines arced across the sky and stabbed the whorl of shadows. Absol cried in distress and Red, vines slung like a noose around Layla's neck, mercilessly dragged her out of the umbrae. He squeezed, the coils wringing her throat till she gasped for breath.

 _Why?_ The two male monsters demanded and speared her with accusatory gazes.

Layla stared at them. There were times when she failed to tell them apart. She did not understand. The duo stood before her with acid burns staining their bodies and resolve glittering in eyes. Too alike. She envied their mutual trust. Disliked the way Red practically threw himself all over Green in the dungeon of Pride despite the latter's disdain. Oak's quiet and utter confidence in the useless Ivysaur shocked her and they shared a bond she could never hope to emulate with anyone else. Their constant arguments grated on her nerves and at times, she desperately prayed for one of them to explode on the other. To truly annihilate the other. Unfortunately, most of their bantering ended with an undercurrent of affection and playful fights. Ivysaur would then eye her in the most adorable way and suggest the three of them do something together. For friendship. He quipped and bounced, showering fragrant petals all over the room. A twisted smile forced her to reveal her fangs and Red, instead of quivering, placed himself in front of the smaller Green. Oak shoved his companion aside and Ivysaur faced him.

"The heck are you doing? Do you want Layla to bite your head off?"

Green snorted. "She? Bite my head off? I'll fry her into oblivion before she opens her mouth."

"Yeah right, like tiny little you could actually stand toe to toe with the harbinger of destruction." Red taunted. "Did you eat those mushrooms? 'Cause you are hallucinating real bad."

Fight. Absol urged silently, a delighted purr shooting through her body.

Charmander stood on tip toes, his muzzle barely brushing against Red's chin. "Want to say that again?" He challenged. "I'll light your bulb on fire, street brat. And by the time I'm done with you, you will forget what freedom feels like."

"Freedom?" Ivysaur's voice reached a new level of low. "After your parents died, you had a grandfather and a sister. A loving family." Red heaved, biting his lips to stop the waterfall of stinging words. "You had a loving family which I would kill for," he shouted and panted, eyes snapping to the swamps, to the deadly plants crowding on a dead log, anywhere but Green's face." Absol purred audibly, her amber eyes assuming a different shade of jealousy.

Green eyed monster indeed.

A snort from Charmander sent Red reeling back and cowering with shame. "Are you through with your ranting?" Green asked, a neutral grin on his face. "Let's move." The dragon kid observed Layla. "We should work together to clear the dungeon. Friends argue and go for each other throats all the time," he explained. "If you stopped pushing us away, maybe we could be better friends?" Absol sunk her obsidian claws into the mud and jerked her head away. Red and Green slunk past her; the charmander sent her a fleeting, apologetic look whilst the former trundled by without a glance in her direction.

She closed her eyes and violently quashed the feelings bubbling inside her heart.

* * *

Dawn

Dungeon of Envy

Throne room

The puppet monsters were annoying. No matter how much the trio hacked, the strings reformed the phantoms. They did not bleed smoke and after grappling with a duskskull for the umpteenth time, Absol, in a fit of ire, scythed through the cables with her horn. The threads twanged like harp strings and the ghost fell. Poof. It disintegrated into a puff of inky smoke. Surprised, Layla berated herself, puppets, of course if she cut their strings, they would collapse. Therefore, the trial master directly puppeteered all the creatures inside the dungeon? The thought intrigued her. Deep in the greyish thicket, her companions fought with the specters, cursing under their breath. Reliable Green, calmly studied the enemy movements whilst Red sweated on the floor, yelling war cries. Arriving at a similar conclusion, Oak, scabbed skin morphing into an ugly magenta, scampered up a tree and sliced through the strings. A smoke screen diffused in the area and gnashing her teeth, Layla grudgingly waited for them. The duo bounded in front of her and Ivysaur's back popped white lilies. He sighed when Green slumped and released healing spores. Oak groaned gratefully and marched, before long; the two beasts crossed over a pond of amber acid and disappeared to another block.

White lilies, Layla contemplated. Death.

Die.

She collapsed on the steaming ground and examined the swelling lacerations on her body. Her vision flickered. Absol forced herself to stand, however, each faltering step forward, disorientated her. The dungeon room swung, a mess of vibrant colors and fungi swirling in dead, onyx surroundings. Layla shook her head and screwed her eyes shut. A mellow voice sang from the edge of her rapidly slipping conscious. It sounded warm and red. Her breathing became shallow and she inwardly panicked when her fauces inched shut. "Are you alright Sparks?" The voice came again, stronger, corporeal. A stream of acid tears sizzled down her face and she looked up at Red and Green, worry twisting their features. A throb of agonizing pain bent her low to the ground and she passed out.

 _Why?_ She panted when healing sap trickled into her torn fur. Sinking deeper into unconsciousness, a realm where memories faded, Layla struggled to remember who she was. What she was.

Eyes snapping open, her ears swiveled to two voices. Passionate outbursts. An argument. The chamber she lay in resembled the dungeon vestibule. No! Absol panicked, they could not go back, once a party set foot in a dungeon, they must complete it at all costs. In the event the group gets stuck, they must send mail requesting help. By no means should they exit before defeating the trial master. Limbs like lead, she pawed the air and turned. A checkered floor, splattered with blood, prompted bile to rise in her throat. Layla customarily glanced at her body, gratitude welling in her mind at her healed lacerations. Gulping a lungful of air, she scrambled to her paws and the urgent conversation died immediately. A theatre stage space unfolded before her; thick, velvet curtains partially obscured the platform and a series of powerful spotlights threw pale circlets on the gore painted floor. In one of the lit spaces, sat Red, fascinated by the beams; Ivysaur continuously placed Green on another illuminated section and the dragon kid, unappreciative of the gesture, stepped back into the shadows. The chamber reeked of black magic and with a jolt, Layla remembered this particular smell. Guild master Wigglytuff faintly smelled of this chamber. Absol examined the walls, every inch covered with trinkets. Glittering necklaces offset with sparkling jewels. Dented rifles, objects dredged straight from the Beach of Evocation. Like the rest of the dungeon, strings intersected parts of the open surface and as Green and his best friend resumed their fatuous banter, the spotlights convened in the center of the room.

Soft, velvety laughter filled the checkered chamber like water pouring in an aquarium. The chortles blew into a broken, maniacal glee. Vibrating, Red hid behind a dome of vines whilst Green scowled and pressed his paws against his ears. In the beam of light, a banette danced to its laughter, puppet strings hitched to the edge of its sleeve covered claws. A cofagrigus and muk materialized with it and the trio waltzed across the platform. Spellbound by the aberrant swaying, the three dungeon goers watched the writhing display with grudging admiration and Ivysaur's protect fell away, one vine at a time. Banette stopped twirling, its subjects dissolved into opaque smoke. Red, moved to tears by the eccentric play, smacked his vines together, imitating a clap. Simultaneously, Layla and Green speared their miserable gazes into the bumbling plant type.

"What?" Red demanded, "you gotta admit, it was kinda nice." Banette turned around and Red spied its face. "…Arceus!" he exclaimed. "She's hideous." He quivered. The puppet pokemon was indeed, hideous. A rusting, monolith nail pierced its abdomen and her zipper like teeth were stained and rotten.

"Welcome to the Dungeon of Envy." The zipper mouth wriggled with worms. "I am Malus, the personification of-" Her one, bulbous eye ignited with a blazing flame and the rest of the dungeon master spilled back when Layla plowed into it. Teeth sunk into Banette's second, blind eye and Absol ripped the button off. Layla, eyes wide with fury, pummeled the puppet pokemon. Fissures opened in Banette's skin and she spilled white cotton instead of smoke. Malus laughed. "Good! Feel it. Feel the jealously. Hate them, why are you attacking me?" The ghost type flitted out of the way and Absol ploughed into the opposite wall, body crumpling into a heap of white fur and bones. "Your opponents are those two." Banette whispered seductively and pointed to Red and Green. "Poor baby, you despise them don't you? They have everything you ever wanted, the companionship you crave? So why not give in?" The single eye widened on the puppet's face. "Destroy them!" She cackled when Layla slinked out of the curtain's shadow and glowered at the fire and grass pair.

Wing-like appendages sprouted from her shoulders and ankles. The swath of fur obscuring her face, grew longer. Charmander and Ivysaur backed warily. Her horn, previously a sickle scythe, widened at the base. A slate spear. "You...Look like a cute demonic angel." Red bravely squeaked despite their circumstances. "Come on Sparks...Snap out of it, we are friends aren't we?" The grass type pleaded and Green groaned. Red's stupid bravery was indirectly proportional to his desire for living. They might as well dig a grave for themselves.

The disaster pokemon halted in her ominous tracks. "What did you say?" She thundered.

"You look like a cute demonic angel." Green cursed at the words tumbling out of his mouth. He pointed to Red, "It's what he said."

 _Thanks Green,_ Ivysaur trembled, _next time I die, I'm staying far, far away from you and anyone I know._

"Friends?" Layla queried, one paw raised off the tiled ground.

"More than friends!" Red hurriedly stated, "We are platonic soul mates." He poked Green with a vine. "Right?" The dragon kid bopped his head in agreement.

 _Soul mate..._ Absol wondered. _I had someone like that._ The wings on her back increased in volume and to their greatest relief, she turned around. Malus, displeasure contorting its horrid face, shrieked and smiled creepily. Dropping all pretenses, the crooked smile morphed into a malicious frown and the ghost attacked. The entire chamber see-sawed and spun upside down. Screaming, Green, who tackled the dungeon master, fell against Red and Ivysaur's bulb ignited. Malus crackled mirthfully, the sound of popping plant were hymns to her ears. Her guffaw cut in half when Absol smacked into her. "I...Am going to kill you in the most painful way possible," she snarled. "Be still, this won't hurt. Possibly." Gripping the rusting nail between bone-white teeth, Layla pulled the nail and Banette's cries of undiluted agony rung through the checkered chamber. Worm-like cables wriggled out of Malus' the putrid mouth and climbed over Absol's body, she threw the gigantic nail aside and forced her claw in the stab wound. Away from them, Red doused his bud with a gush of viscid healing sap and Green shielded his friend's eyes from Absol's actions. Layla dug deep into Banette's abdomen, clawing the specter's vividly tinted innards and the ghost writhed amongst its organs, pounding its hands on the ground. Ivysaur ordered Green pull his hands away and he declined.

"...It's too grotesque. Don't want you to get nightmares." Green retched when Layla licked her paw clean.

Red tried to peer through Oak's claws. "I should be the one covering your eyes," he asserted, "I'm older than you." The beginnings of another quarrel cut short when Layla stepped off a prone Malus, a knot of strings squirmed in her maw and she chucked them away, slammed a paw on Banette's chest and clamored for the advice. Akin to a wind up doll, Malus recited:

"If you swim effortlessly in the deep oceans, ride the waves to and from the shore, if you can breathe under water and dine on the deep treasures of the seas; mark my words, those who dwell on the rocks carrying nets will try to reel you in their catch. The last thing they want is for you to thrive in your habitat because they stand in their atmosphere where they beg and gasp for some air." The doll lifted her head, zipper mouth twisting into a gentle smile. "You did well...All of you." Malus' head hit the floor; her white cotton stuffing cocooned her. "I never thanked anyone in my life," she whispered, dulcet tones whisking over the audience's ears. "But thank you...For setting me free." A deep echo boomed in the dungeon and Banette's body grew lighter with each passing second. Terror seized Layla and she stepped backwards, jaws stained by black blood. Malus jerked one final time.

And winked out of existence.

* * *

 **A/N:** The moody and gloomy Layla suffers from a loneliness crisis. Poor her. Much thanks to all those who read and reviewed and followed the story. At Jack54311: Unfortunately he doesn't really reach the cave. He evolves before then, as you see. And yeah, I did want Layla to be a mother figure to them both. I think the romantic relationship between males and females are over-exaggerated. I like seeing them as friends.

 **Disclaimer:**

Title: Wayne Gerard Trotman

Envy's quote: C. JoyBell C.


	13. Fire running in veins

**Fire running in veins**

Crack of dawn

Treasure Town

Condominium

Darkness melted into light. Nestled in a swathe of fragrant leaves, Ivysaur mumbled in his sleep A breeze blew through the windows and he jolted awake. Red's vision snagged on a flower, blooming bright against the white ceiling, groggily, he raised his head, last week's events still throbbing in his mind. The beginnings of a headache pounded in the base of his cranium and he stared at the vines carpeting the floor. In Envy's dungeon he, Green and Layla sat spellbound when Malus winked out of existence. The checkered chamber swayed like an unsteady boat and the ornaments hung on the walls crashed. Absol, sharp, amber irises dulled with bewilderment and fright, trembled, traces of greyish blood staining her snow white fur. The throne room heaved, cracks broke the tiles and the thick, satin drapes caught on fire. No portal opened and when it became clear that the dungeon collapsed, the trio bolted for the entrance.

Branches whipped their faces as they raced to safety. Paws sunk in soft muddy ground and the air crackled with the sound of snapping strings. Acid pools frothed, vomiting enemies from its humungous, gaseous bubbles. Whilst running, Red's bulb split open, vines pierced into the walls and pulled him short. Green's tail drooped low and set the dry grass on fire. They squeezed out of the tangled root entrance and the ghost orbs of light vanished. Inch by inch, the Dungeon of Envy sunk. The tree, branches snarled with stone columns and sheets of rusting steel, screeched and roared. Masonry cracked like thunder. A mini earthquake rocked the field, forcing the trial goers to scamper to solid ground. The humungous tree, roots knotted with rusting junk, went under, swallowed by some invisible quicksand.

Yawning, Red tumbled off his raised bed of leaves and lay tiredly on the grassy ground. He pondered on Malus' final, convoluted advice. _'The last thing they want is for you to thrive in your habitat because they stand in their atmosphere where they beg and gasp for some air.'_ He recalled rasping words, what did that even mean? More importantly, Absol's behavior in the dungeon shocked him. She, the undeterred, determined and inspirer of terror; was jealous of him and Green? It made no sense…or maybe it did. For a brief, frightening moment, Red considered doing away with his best friend. Green Oak had everything he ever wanted, a loving family, a safe home, a steady background and a wide, prospective future. He kept a rational head and rarely wallowed in self-pity, preferring to figure his way out of a mess. A part of Ivysaur sympathized with Layla, but all his efforts to spend time with her...ended in a disaster. She refused to see them, preferring to while her way away from home. Getting to his feet, Red petrified when vestiges of black smoke lingered near his window and vanished without a trace.

He stared at the spot underneath the windowsill, gut churning ominously. The flat was quiet. Not serene silence. This quietude choked him. Reminding him of the false sense of security right before death. Peeking in the kitchen, he observed no fire burning in the stove. No Sparks either. Clambering back up to the second floor, he threw a door open and inwardly angry for disturbing Green almost every morning, Red dashed full speed to the hearth, yelled jubilantly and popped a bouquet of holly flowers. The fire lizard sneezed, grunting angrily, he cracked an eyelid open. Despite the murderous glare, Red grinned happily.

Sleep shattered beyond salvation, Oak stared at the suspicious flowers growing out of Red's crimson bulb. Did the flowers indicate Ivysaur's temperament and emotions? White holly flowers...Charmander had no idea what they meant. Crimping his fists irritably, he slammed his palms on a burning log and shifted it aside. Why in Darkrai's unholy name does Red wake him up every morning? Why can't that bulb spend some alone time? Huffing, Green offered a fist wrapped in flames and instead of moving away, Red bounced right up to him.

And with a devilish grin, the seed pokemon unleashed a paralyze spore.

Charmander screeched wrath, his entire body tingled and alarmed, Red shuffled backwards, paws dragging across mosaic tiles. "Yeah, stay back," Green hollered exasperatedly. "When I get my fist on you, I'll turn your bulb into a bonfire!" the dragon shrieked and his friend's jaw hung open confusedly. Charmander paused, the prickling in his body did not stop and an intense, searing heat spread across his back. Slightly afraid, he stared at his forelimb, nearly fainting when it elongated. His cute, tiny nails grew into razor edged, flat claws. Bones snapped, crackling and growing. His gums popped a new set of teeth, which provided for welcome relief because for the past few weeks, his toothaches were getting unbearable. On the floor, Ivysaur's expressions swung like a pendulum, from admiration to anxiety and back to a blend of pride and awe. Back snapping, Green blinked tears when his transformation stopped. He experimentally licked his fiery red skin.

His tongue exploded at the flavor of cinnamon and habanero. Not a pleasant combination. Throwing him a look, Red disappeared from the room and returned seconds later with a pitcher of water and crushed berries. Charizard attempted to rise from his hearth but his limbs were jelly. Carefully turning him over, Ivysaur force-fed the unwilling dragon a gross combination and sputtering, Green reluctantly swallowed, the grimace on his face mellowing.

"Congratulations, you...Evolved into a charmeleon." Red offered and Charmeleon nodded. "And you have this nasty, look in your eyes, like you wanna blow something up."

"Yeah." Pale green eyes swiveled to Ivysaur's bulb, "You look like a great target." Red retreated warily. "I feel jumpy; want to head to the dojo to train?"

Mid afternoon

Gehenna

Dojo

Master Mienshao's focus slipped, she elegantly back flipped, avoiding twin whirlwinds from a braviary. Touching down on the smooth, wooden floor, she bounced again, narrowly avoiding a blast of compressed sound from chingling. The two closed on her like predators, determined eyes scanning for a weakness. Mei examined her powder pink nails, mind momentarily flooded by images of desert sand, ice and smoking vats of molten gold. Shaking her head, she tumbled when the eagle pokemon dove. A close call. The flying type crashed pathetically and for good measure, she rammed a kick on its back. Braviary screeched and swiped its wings upwards, the blow caught her off-guard and she crossed her arms to shield her chest. A neat line of crimson soaked her fur cloaked arms and she petulantly shook droplets of blood. Chingling rotated and Mienshao regarded the psychic type with a contemplative frown before calmly breaking out of the rapidly constructed barrier and smashing her palm on the bell-shaped beast. Once strike morphed to eight. Eight palm strikes sent the chingling skidding over the floor, spilling blood and resting in the corner, head ribbons limp. Mei pressed her hands together and wiped them on her slender body. She eyed the eagle and the avian glowered at her with unmarked hate.

Vats of molten gold. The dojo master cartwheeled, foot catching on the bird's beak. A pained and disgusted hiss forced out of Braviary's scarred bill. The monster launched in the air, hawk eyes surveying the ground. Mienshao followed his movements, images of a hand sinking under towering sand dunes, distracted her. She smoothly dove to the side when her student plummeted, instead of crashing on the floor; the bird regally swooped back to the air. In an adjacent room, more pokemon punched bags or sparred on their own. Thuds of falling monsters, retorts and whispered encouragements reached her pierced ears and Mei licked her palms clean. Pillars of ice held the sands back. Closing her eyes for a brief moment of composure, she uttered a strangled cry when the airborne Braviary raked her face with glinting talons. Pressing a palm over hemorrhaging eyes, she pricked her ears for a flutter of feathers. The door slid open. She panicked. The scents of lemongrass and pepper assaulted her nose and she quickly veered backwards when the ominous flap of wings brushed past her cheek.

The dojo remained unchanged, the floor smelled of wood varnish and the paper screen doors did horribly little for privacy. And Master Mienshao reigned supreme... or not; Red watched in disbelief as a braviary violently attacked the dojo master. Drops of blood danced in the air and with a harrowing jolt, Red realized Mienshao was blinded. Face screwed in an affronted frown, he trundled forward, that bird needed a lesson in respect. Next to him however, Green's tail flame blazed, he shot forward. An orange, reddish blur. Claws closed over the bird's neck and Oak crushed its head to the ground. "Every respected monster knows where not to hit in a friendly fight." Green gravelly voiced, throttling Braviary. The beast thrashed in his grasp, scarlet feathers and blue down molting off its body. "You violated that rule and persisted in attacking her even after she was blinded." Mei, ears flicking apprehensively, cleaned crusted blood off her eyes whilst Red synthesized healing spores. Hefting the creature upright by its throat, Charmeleon, jade irises trailing up and down the valiant pokemon's body, leered. "I feel like having roast bird tonight." Saying this, he flung the enraged beast and it heaped to a stop near the inert Chingling.

Red cringed; while Charmeleon's body control remained perfectly intact, in fact, he gained newfound agility, Green's disposition nosedived. Fiery and brash, Ivysaur failed to wrap his head around the drastic change in personality. Oak attacked any and everything, yelling a war cry and pouncing with his tail blazing.

"I see the two of you have evolved." Mei acknowledged the two monsters. Green's tail rapidly thumped the floor, steam evaporated off his body and he returned the greeting with a curt one of his own. "Thank you for healing me," Mienshao's voice chimed like twinkling glass, "however, I missed your presence." She smiled tightly. "Let me see...More than nine months passed since I last saw your face, but I am most impressed with the two of you, your body control-" she ducked when a stray vine lashed over her head. Green, unfazed, gouged his claws on a piece of stone. "...I may have spoken too soon," she commented, calmly focusing on Oak. "You seem to have no troubles, I take it? How admirable." Charmeleon nodded, tail beating the ground at the unexpected praise.

The uncomfortable silence shattered when Braviary's talons scraped the floor. It half nodded to the dojo master and glared at Green who lit a fireball in his palm. Picking Chingling in its beak, the bird swooped out of the dojo, disappearing into a sun drenched sky. "Master Mei, are you up for some sparring or should we return later?" Red asked with a lazy twirl of his vine. "Since I evolved, my vines and body are acting on their own, so some training would be nice." Startled out of her thoughts, Mienshao briskly nodded and rubbed the dried blood ringing her eyes. The duo assumed opposite positions in the vast chamber.

 _Vats of molten gold,_ she thought. _Pillars of ice. Towering sand dunes._

* * *

Rows and rows of books stood on stained wooden shelves. A thick carpet muffled footsteps and coiled on an armchair with a brass lamp hanging above her head, Layla rested her muzzle on the tea colored pages of an ancient tome. The marble surface of the reading table disappeared under several books and amber eyes briefly flickered over all of them. Hushed voices filtered from all corners of the gigantic library and she tuned to the conversations. Worried murmurs and enquires for certain books were punctured by passages detailing the trial master mythos. Yawning, Absol scanned paragraphs from the scrolls scattered in front of her. Two dungeons remained to be completed and she wondered…Wrath or Sloth? Both were extremely difficult trials and the mere thought of them elicited a groan of misery. Head dropping back to the musty pages, she closed her eyes for a nap.

She stood in a flat, featureless plain. Black, bare branches, surfaces shining like pitch, erupted from the loose, greyish soil beneath her paws. Layla rotated, faces sneered from behind the latticework of branches and dead leaves. They resembled humans. A salt and pepper haired man with spectacles and lines cutting his forehead. The ten year old, ebony haired boy on television, waving at the camera with a prim faced, ginger haired girl. An apron wearing, auburn haired man with startlingly red irises. Their visages melted, dissolving till the form of Banette towered over her. Layla's hackles rose, tail whipping from side to side and she backed away. Strings attached to her body and Malus lifted a finger, commanding her to dance. Dance she did, jittering crazily over a beach of pebbles. Joints popping, she came to a harrowing standstill before a large pond. Green and Red drowned in there. The plant type went under, gurgling and calling out her name in his endearing tone. Charmander did none of that. He simply simmered; nose and maw inching underneath the stagnant acid but his verdant irises remained on her, swirling with something other than hate. It surprised her.

 _You betrayed me._ Green seemed to say. When she registered the message, his eyes dipped. And closed. The top of his bumpy head disappeared beneath yellowish fluid.

 _You betrayed us._ The duo silently accused.

Jerking, Layla woke, a silent scream curling from her mouth. A warm palm rested on her flank and her first instinct was to screech and tear off; she did not want to face her flat mates. Instead, her fur lay flat when the ponderous form of Wiggly smiled at her. Blue bags hung underneath eyes rimmed with fatigue. Easing his bulk into an adjacent armchair, he laid his walking staff across his legs and nodded to the books spread across the table. "You are down to the last two trials right?" he asked, voice steeped in concern and Absol nodded vacuously; if she bolted now, the guild master will not be able to interrogate her about the Dungeon of Envy. "Hmm...The choice between Wrath and Sloth." Wiggly leaned forward, pudgy hand tracing the pages. "Let me give you a piece of advice, Sloth is the most difficult dungeon, therefore try completing Wrath. Although it is no better, I promise you it will be easier than Lasich's trial." Absol dipped her head respectfully, tensing when his breathing labored. "I'm getting bad vibes from you and the other two." She twitched at his words. "Mind telling me what is going on?" Watery eyes fixated on her and Wiggly expectantly wrapped a hand around his staff. Layla did not speak. "...What happened in the Dungeon of Envy? The Trial sunk underground and did not reappear. Surely you must know something?" the balloon pokemon queried solemnly.

What did she know? She knew fear churning in Red's eyes when he looked at her; Malus' blood, liquid blood, not smoke, stained Layla's white fur and arcane aversion whirled in his irises.

"I killed Malus," Absol slowly answered, a far off dream tugging at the edge of her memory. This is what she was good for. Killing. "I have this vague recollection of trying to kill them too."

"Them?"

"Red and Green." Layla shifted in the armchair. "I know...I know jealousy is my weakness." She licked her lips. "I tried suppressing it when we entered the dungeon. Being the one with the most experience, I thought I would not lose control like Green...But I was so jealous. And it felt so good to see them writhe in pain and drown." Her eyes grew wide and she sunk obsidian claws in the rich upholstery of the couch. "I'm despicable, I laugh along with them, play along with their shenanigans but deep down I harbor such hate. Especially for Red, he...He..." She broke off, unable to continue. "Please forgive me guild master, I killed Malus, in a fit of self-loathing, I pulled out her core. She imparted her advice and the dungeon sank. I'm sorry; I don't know what to do." Whimpering softly, Layla's head dropped on the table.

Clutching his stick, Wiggly pulled to his feet. "Well, I always stressed that team work is essential to thriving in Gehenna." Absol frowned and buried her face in the book like a sulking teenager. "Don't worry your pretty little head about quarrels; I'm sure those two understood what transpired. The best course of action is to make up with them." Wiggly paused and dropped a folded page on the table. "About killing Malus, make sure you don't tell anyone alright?" Layla moodily nodded. "The dungeon of Envy sure gets its trial masters slaughtered every few millennia." Wigglytuff winked. "Shall I tell you a secret?" He grinned. "I killed the previous Trial master." The dark beast shot up, eyes wide in astonishment and Wiggly slid the paper towards her. "Shh, keep my secret okay? And be sure to patch things up with Red and Green." Saying this, he left.

Silence smothered the voices in the library and she stared at the folded paper. It grinned at her. Clandestine

 _You betrayed me._ Green's hoarse voice ghosted over her ear. His blistering breath curled over her cheek.

Late afternoon

Gehenna

Dojo

A palm smashed the side of Red's bud and he staggered, feet scrabbling for a purchase on the shiny floor. Behind the martial arts pokemon, Charmeleon ducked as her arm cut across. He jumped backwards and Ivysaur dove to the side when the dojo master swerved towards them. Their breaths came in ragged gasps and sweat dripped to the floor. Ignoring Mei, Red hurtled to a small patch of sunlight shining on the floor and greedily drunk in the warmth. Splaying weakly, he called for a time out.

Tail thrashing, Oak joined him, paws rifling into a satchel for food. Hooking his claws in a berry sandwich, he crammed it in Red's mouth and retrieved a large canister of juice and several apples. Grimacing, he bit into the fruit; saw teeth pierced waxy skin. Quietly excusing herself, Mienshao nimbly darted into the next training chamber. Pokemon in various poses of fatigue greeted her, some unconscious, others bruised and scarred. Sandbags, hanging from the rafters, swung lazily. Dismissing the injured beasts, she pointed to a cabinet at the far end of the room and told them to address their wounds. A few of the monster groaned miserably and crawled for the medical supplies. Moving fluidly past them, she climbed the steps to the second story, pausing anxiously before the door. A silhouette outlined the white paper screen, petal shaped wings beating exhaustedly on the floor. The door opened to a volcarona sliding along the ground, a thin trail of vermillion blood stained the fire moth's trail, from its nest of kindling, right up to the front door. "Volcarona," Mei stepped inside, "I told you to stay in bed." Picking up the injured insect, she repressed a hiss of pain and deposited the sun pokemon back in its bed. "My students are taking a break at the moment, are you hungry? Shall I prepare something for you?" Mei stroked the moth's fiery wings and tiny burns sizzled on her fingertips.

Volcarona shook her head. "No, I am feeling weak." The insect burrowed into its nest of kindling. "I don't think I can do this anymore." Mienshao retracted her hand, palms smoking. "The last dungeon...almost killed me. How long are you going to do this? How long will you keep saving me from each obstacle I face?" Mei smiled reassuringly. "This is not a matter to be smiling about. Please leave me alone. I can't do this. Before long, I shall turn into the fallen." The forced smile on the fight type's face melted and she gritted her teeth. Patting the buzzing insect once more on its head, Mei pulled away, ignoring the growl from her stomach, she proceeded downstairs.

In the reception training room, Red, maw smeared with berry jam and bread crumbs, snoozed. A particularly thick vine wrapped around his bud and pulled the petals apart. Green, wide awake like an out of control fire, wondered if he should wake his companion. Revenge. His leathery lips curled in sadistic self-satisfaction. Instead, he examined the sleeping Ivysaur, noting the twitches and expressions of pain flitting across his face. _What did Red dream about?_ Oak wondered and sniffed. At times the bulb diffused a potent, excoriating smell which caused nausea and in happy circumstances; the plant type secreted a fragrant aroma. Floral and woody. Like the forests near his home. It reminded him of...of...Scrunching his face, Green glanced at Red, who rotated on his back. A string of random grunts issued from his partially open, drooling mouth.

Oak's mind drew a blank. What did the forest remind him of?

He balled his fists, forcing his mind to remember.

?

Searing pain. Red twitched. He did not want to feel pain. A shapeless form sawed his neck. He wriggled, the burning agony did not come from his bleeding neck, it issued from the side. He wanted to wake up from this nightmare and with great difficulty, he popped an eye open. Green, a mere feet away from him, blazed. His entire body on fire. The lizard furled and unfurled his hands and grounded his teeth over a piece of slate. Alarmed at the uncommon behavior, Red shot up, a piece of his skin burnt into a shade of charcoal; at once, the flames surrounding Green, died. "Is there something wrong?" Ivysaur queried and the fire type shook his head. "Come on, stop being like that, you look really distressed, I'm your friend so why don't you confide in me? I know I'm annoying and all-"

Charmeleon picked the litter at his feet and stuffed it back in the satchel. "Spar with me for a while." Oak commanded, Ivysaur jerked angrily and reluctantly nodded.

Assuming positions on the opposite sides of the chamber, they waited for Master Mienshao's signal. She studied her students, who were a far cry from the bumbling creatures stepping into Gehenna all those months ago. Raising her hand, she brought it down. Begin. The two creatures lost the concept of humanity. Red, knowing exactly how Green functioned, hastily weaved a protect. Charmeleon, twin fists cloaked in fire, rained blows on the sturdy dome of vines. The outer tendrils popped, raining acid on the dragon's fists. Snarling, Oak drove his claws between the chinks and tore them apart, wrenching them from Red. A small hole opened and gleefully, Charmeleon thrust his hand in, groped and victoriously seized Ivysaur's bulb. Seconds later, he removed his burning arm from the sphere of vines and blew on it. Mienshao raised an eyebrow at the blistered forelimb . Solar beam, she mused. The leafy protect fell away and another lurid pillar of light rocketed outwards. Green hurtled to the side, cursing when a bunch of vines descended from above and speared him to the floor. He wriggled uselessly and sneezed a smokescreen when Ivysaur crawled closer. Blinking at the cloud of sulphurous smoke, Red sharply eyed the room. His nape prickled and he shrunk to the side. The floorboards splintered, streaming, Charmeleon pelted his tail on Red's bulb, twisted and hammered his fists on his friend's back. Red squealed piteously. Grabbing the seed monster by its paws, Green flung him in the air.

Hefting the stupid, grinning bulb into the air was a mistake.

Crouching, Charmeleon opened his jaws, fire cloaked his teeth. A vine loosely sailed out of Red and neatly twisted around the single horn sprouting from Green's head. Ivysaur reeled his tendril in and with a furious roar, Green, limbs flailing, sailed upwards and descended, face planting the ground. The fire in his jaws erupted and enveloped his entire body. Will to fight and energy drained, he dug his face out from the shattered floorboards and slouched to the ground. Master Mei's formal expression mellowed into a gratified smile and she clapped. "Both of you fought well," she praised and Green snorted in resentment. Fought well? A grass type defeated him for Dialga's sake! "It was difficult to discern the victor but I would say...Congratulations Green," Mei announced. Bewildered, he raised his head, getting a face-full of Red's smile. Green swore the sun shone brighter.

"Me?" Charmeleon asked dubiously. "I'm sure I didn't hit my head hard enough to believe you. Red won the fight."

"No he did not." Mienshao pointed to Red whose bulb shed petals. "His regenerative ability is his saving grace. It is higher than most plant types. Since he spends most of his time rubbing shoulders with you, his pain tolerance and healing abilities were hyper-developed. Red has a weak immunity to fire and without it, he would have lost the fight a long time ago." Green spied marks around the ivysaur's throat.

"You strangled yourself didn't you?" Oak accused and Red solemnly agreed. "...Your body control is back to square one." Red keeled over, pouting. "I'm hungry." A devious grin unfolded on Green's maw. "And since you are _older_ than me," he taunted "make me lunch." Ivysaur nodded happily.

And fainted.

The duo presented a curious sight; a dour faced Charmeleon dragging an unconscious Ivysaur in a leafy sled. At the cross roads, the guild stood to the north whilst the park and church cropped in the west. Throngs of pokemon sent Green strange glances and scratching the solitary horn sprouting on his head, he dragged his best friend across the bumpy ground, heading for the guild. Banners and flags hung from strings and stone arches. Slats of sunlight speckled blood stained streets. The church bell tolled, pealing like discordant screams. Oak painstakingly dragged the sled, glaring at anyone daring to stand in his way. Scarred dragons, serpents and birds, gave the seething dragon kid a wide berth. A flock of wingull arced to the south, beaks overflowing with envelopes. Staring at the cloudless sky, Charmeleon sat in the middle of the road to catch his breath, unscrewing a canteen of water, he gulped half of it and checked on Red. The plant type snoozed peacefully, burns and strangulation marks fading. Grabbing the rope, Green pulled the sleigh, going slower over a particularly bumpy stretch. As he neared the village square, he froze at a familiar face. Layla emerged from the guild's double doors and petrified at the newly evolved Green. It took a second to register his appearance and then, she bolted. Leaving Red to snore on the side of the road, Oak tore after her.

Muscles rippled under her fur and Layla cursed silently. Green, for all his nonchalance, was as persistent as Red. She sprung in the air, preparing to shadow sneak to safety. Unfortunately for her, Charmeleon set the ground on fire. Vortices of flame writhed on all sides and she elegantly dropped to her paws, sidestepping when the earth underneath her feet erupted. Barreling right up to her, Green looped her rattling bone necklace around his fist and Layla ground her teeth, the brat had some nerve! Roughly grasping the necklace, Green pulled till the string snapped and bleached bones plopped to the ground. The disaster pokemon reared backwards, and swiftly, he clamped his other hand around her throat and squeezed it menacingly.

"You owe us an explanation," Green hissed and clasped tighter. "You will come with me to the village circle and when Red wakes up; you explain what is going on." His eyes narrowed. "Understand?" Glowering, she wrenched herself out of his grasp and dolefully followed the dragon kid. The town's monsters stared and warily peeked at the stretch of scorched earth Oak left in his wake.

An electric blue sky tinged with dying sunlight greeted Red when he woke up. Yawning heartily, he swiveled to see Green and Layla locked into a staring contest, Ivysaur flushed. Why does his best friend never talk about his affections? Stealthily rolling to his feet, he shuffled away, resolving to give them some privacy. Although, they could have picked a better place for a date, this was the village square for Mew's sake! Layla flicked her ears when paws dragged over grooved stone and Green whirled, eyes shining like chips of viridian ice. "Sorry to interrupt you two," Red squeaked. "You and Layla can carry on with whatever you were doing and I'll just..." He desperately glanced around, "I'll head over to the guild. Uh...I'm happy for you." Whipping around, he bounced for the undergrowth and barely a second later; Oak's steaming paw yanked him backwards. "I'm sorry I disturbed you two, I won't do it again. And besides, if you don't want other pokemon to bother you on your date, find a more secluded place, or did you forget Blue's dating tips?" Red wrinkled his nose. "You stink, didn't you wash yourself? Hey, let me spray you down with a sweet scent yeah?" He perked, a hopeful sparkle in his eye.

The fire type blinked confusedly. "Huh? What…Me...On a date with her? Are you crazy? Do you want me to die early?"

"But...When I woke up you were staring Sparks all infatuated…"

"I-wha?" Green faltered, "Red, are you out of your mind? I pinned her with a glare you dolt. Arceus, sometimes I wonder if you have compost for brains." A barely perceptible snicker alerted the quibbling duo to Layla stifling her giggles. "...Anyway, I am definitely not on a date with her." Oak huffed, face burning in embarrassment and anger.

The trio faced each other.

Ivysaur opened his mouth and closed it again. Oak poked him. "I...Missed your laugh Sparks." Charmeleon sighed and Layla hung her head in shame. She wanted to run away. "I understand the Dungeon of Envy drove you ballistic and jealously is a nasty emotion to harbor, but I'm not the one to judge. I'm envious of Green as well." Green exhaled softly and scored his nails on the village square platform. "It's funny, he's my best friend but I'm jealous of him." Red broke off. Layla's shoulders drooped, weighed down by the weight of Gehenna. "You pushed Green in the acid pool...I do not appreciate that, however, what is done is done. He is safe and there is no reason to harbor a grudge over an action you might possibly have no control of." Ivysaur's gravelly tones raised the fur on Layla's neck. "Unfortunately, instead of smoothing things over, you ran away. Do you know what I dislike Layla?" Red's voice grew hoarse. "Cowards." He rasped. "I despise cowards. And your actions were cowardly." A pregnant silence stretched between them.

Absol scraped the ground, noting potent anger dripping in Red's voice. She bowed humbly. "I apologize...I'm sorry. Next time, I'll rely on the two of you to get me out of a tight spot." Ivysaur beamed and the setting sun shone brighter. Green wore a frown on his face, nonetheless his tail wagged into a blur.

"See? That wasn't so difficult was it?" Red's back bloomed into sunflowers, petals indolently floating at Layla's feet. Turning to Oak, the plant type puffed his chest and self-confidently asked, "What do you think of me now? I resolved a potentially fatal situation by bringing us back as friends again."

Green's tail contorted gleefully and he smirked. "I still think your head is full of compost." He grinned when Red dejectedly wilted on the cold, etched floor.

* * *

Evening

Treasure Town

Guild

Flames shimmered in glass, lighting the dim room. Steelix curled on the arcanine fur carpet, eyes fixed on a folded piece of paper lying on the table. The contents of the document left him apprehensive. Throat rumbling unhappily, he snatched the paper and read it again. Wiggly's orders were absolute, even if the guild master tasked him with a potentially suicidal mission. At least, Rooque contemplated, he will have company.

Steelix's mind wondered to the guild master. An enigma. Wigglytuff, a respected leader, instilled equal amounts of respect and admiration from the citizens. When asked to join Team Emblem, Steelix was overjoyed; no amount of words described the honor brimming in his chest when Wiggly slung the badge around his neck. Team Emblem handled the toughest missions and worked solo, unlike other dungeon exploring groups. Bit by bit, Steelix noticed the guild master's odd mannerisms. Wiggly never needed to complete any trials and mysteriously, he appeared in ancient paintings. He claimed to have regular visits from Darkrai and at first Rooque brushed off the exaggeration. All doubt vanished when one early morning, a shadow, cradling a single cyan eye, billowed from underneath Wiggly's room and vanished. Ridding himself of morbid thoughts, the steel serpent snatched the piece of paper when voices ascended the stairs. The sliding doors leading to Team Emblem's living quarters whirred open and a variety of pokemon spilled inside. Tamen, tail flicking, assumed his position next to Steelix and studied the latter with gunmetal blue eyes. Melody floated in, her jewels skewed on her head whilst Wiggly hobbled on a staff and plopped on a couch. One floor below, a loud cheer resounded and Rooque grinned toothily, he would rather sit in the cafeteria, heading a food fight with conkeldurr rather than discussing surreptitious projects.

"Please stop staring at me like that," Rooque hesitantly said to Tamen and broke in a cold sweat. Umbreon sniffed and stalked to Wiggly. "So what are we gathered here for?" Steelix queried, the guild master used a fine stick of charcoal and inked a map of Treasure town and the outskirts on a blank page. Fascinated, the other members watched the page fill with labels and locations. Stabbing a finger at a north western part of the forest, Wiggly quietly stated that the Dungeon of Envy is no more. Steelix's mouth hung open and Melody nodded when Tamen glanced at her for confirmation. "It disappeared? Is there a reason why?" the iron snake implored and an odd look flitted across Wiggly's face. Lately, his visage resembled a puzzle of emotions. "A dungeon cannot disappear without a reason, what about all the other pokemon who need to go through it?" Rooque pressed. Tail fluffing, Tamen accusingly gazed at Wiggly and the guild master leaned back, his mien vacuous.

Wigglytuff warranted an investigation, spearheaded by Umbreon and his patrollers. For the first time, the moonlight beast declined the offer and raised a few eyebrows in the process. Tamen calmly informed them that other matters warranted his response and immediately the focus shifted on him. The cat sucked in attention akin to a black hole. He related a series of incidents about pokemon with their necks slashed. Evidence pointed to the victims being lured to an isolated location before the perpetrator drained their blood on the surroundings. Steelix gagged at the vivid descriptions. Ignoring the sputtering snake, Tamen forged ahead, he cited seeing bodies all over Gehenna. Prone water types lay on the Beach of Evocation; fire types dried on the desert sand whilst more pokemon were buried under sheets of pure ice. Dungeon monsters and masters aside, Tamen softly asserted that these might be the work of Houndoom and his pack of detestable black market workers.

Groaning at Tamen's assumptions, Wiggly stated, "You don't have any proof. Please, I have my hands full worrying about a vanished dungeon and now I must contend with your baseless accusations." The guild master inhaled deeply, breath rattling in his chest. "Dom, while an unsavory character, will not murder any pokemon simply because he feels like it. If he did, he'd strip the corpses for meat. We all know Houndoom is a greedy old dog and he will do anything for money and I fail to see this situation benefiting him in any way, rather, it casts suspicion on him and by all means, Dom will sell his hide to avoid a confrontation with you."

Umbreon blinked. Wigglytuff had a point. Reluctantly, he accepted the offer to investigate the forests and jumped from the couch. The guild master heaved to his feet and escorted Tamen out.

Alone, Steelix and Gothitelle looked at each other.

"This is some crisis we landed in." Melody voiced and harp strings resonated in the air. "I done research but the books failed to mention a sinking dungeon." Closing her eyes, she touched her forehead.

Anxiety frothed in Rooque's chest. "There are rumors that the Trial Master has been killed and therefore the Dungeon sunk." Melody opened her eyes and he shrugged. "Guild vestibule gossip you know," he chuckled bitterly, "you hear a lot of nonsense...Although, I can't help thinking there might be a grain of truth in it." His voice lowered. "I bet Wigglytuff knows what's going on but he refuses to tell us."

The psychic pokemon shook her head. "Don't be ridiculous; Wiggly always shares important information. It is improbable to keep us in the dark when we have such a big problem on our hands."

"I don't know Mel..." The steel serpent trailed off. "You and Wiggly...Keep a lot of secrets from me." Gothitelle sunk into a seat. "I may be the youngest member but I'm not dumb. You...Know things about him." Steelix inhaled shakily. "Things I don't know. Astral body pokemon can see lifespans am I right? You know exactly when each and every one of us will die." He swallowed. "Wiggly, does not have a lifespan hanging above his head does he?" Melody's expression remained static and Rooque searched for an answer but found none. "Gehenna is full of secrets and lies. I vowed to do my best to protect the community of Treasure Town, but how do you expect me to work when I doubt my superiors?" Steelix questioned. "How do you know...Wiggly does not want to destroy Gehenna? And can we trust him?"

Melody, stone-faced, watched Rooque leave. His words echoed in her head.

 _Can we trust him?_

* * *

 **A/N:** So Green evolved and the three patched things up. And Wiggly...the enigmatic guild master. Anyway, thank you to all those who read and reviewed and followed the story, it means a lot to me. And feedback is always appreciated.

At Jack54311: I didn't know how to portray mega-evolution properly so it just slipped out. No, whatever happened to Malus, happened because Layla killed her completely. The others simply regenerate when they die. Guess Layla isn't the only one suspicious of Wiggly, his own team mate is on to him :P


	14. The mouth of a cursed monster

**Mouth of a cursed monster**

Too heavy.

The slippery boulder thudded to the floor and a coppery stench of blood wafted up Rooque's nostrils. He stared. In the half light of the moon, another man, face smashed in the brickwork; lay spread-eagled in the corner of a dirty, narrow alley. A drunken revelry rumbled in the tavern next to the passage and outside, Rooque shivered in the stinging winds and gazed at his handiwork in surreal dubiety. Bending and breath coming in ragged rasps; he lifted the innocent, blood seeped hunk of rock and heaved the evidence in the trash can. Wiping stained fingers on the shirt underneath his jacket, he cast another look at his dead friend. The man's face opened in a silent scream and already, his appearance turned ashen. Indignation welled in Rooque's chest, that cretin deserved it, he consoled himself. Walking out of the darkened street, he veered away from the old fashioned lamps, spilling yellow pools on the sidewalk. The bar's neon lights winked at him from across the road and Rooque swallowed bile. Exhaling, he gave into his temptations and lumbered through the swinging doors.

Slurred chatter wormed in his ears and the tavern stank of spirits. Men hunched at tables, nursing worries and festered feelings. Patrons tossed tiny glasses, little quantities of amber liquid snaked down their throats. Most of them drank with free abandon, clutching bottles with blemished, greyish nails, their mouth glued to the neck and chugging. Rivulets of fluid ran down unshaven cheeks. Carefully winding his way through sultry waitresses and trouble makers, Rooque ignored the stares and sat on a barstool. The chair creaked beneath his muscled bulk. A half conscious man slobbered incoherently and sidled away from him. Grinning, he asked for a drink. A strong one. One that could knock him unconscious.

The barkeeper gave him a tumbler and smiled hospitably. Huge hands wrapped around the mug and lifted it to his lips; Rooque drowned the contents in one gulp. No breaks. The liquid scorched right down to his stomach and nestled there like fire. He asked for another one. And another.

And another.

Tiny hammers beat the inside of his skull, pressing a hand over his eyes, Rooque massaged his temples. The area underneath him felt hard. Bricks. He wondered and sluggishly heaved upright. In the blue, blue sky, the sun flared like a supernova and he squinted, rifling through his memories for an explanation of how he ended in the disgusting alley; but like ice melting on the surface of a drink, the memories eluded him. Sitting up he enticed feeling into benumbed limbs, shuddering at the sticky substance coating his palms. Cursing, he lifted his hand and stared. Dried blood. Cyan irises roamed the ground, to a corpse swarming with flies. A fetid odor clogged his throat and Rooque scrambled to the nearest trash can and vomited. Sweating, he buried his face in his jacket with a groan and walked, pulling away from the dank street and spilling into the main one. At once, heads swiveled. People pointed and hurried away. Others clutched their children closer and ignored him. People went about their daily business and grinning politely, Rooque made himself small. Bundling the jacket under his arm, he set off and abruptly stopped at his faded reflection in a shop window. Dirty blood stains. The man looked at his body. Rusty red splatters decorated the front of his shirt. Near him, a child gasped and pointed, his mother clasped him and briskly headed inside the store. Meekly, Rooque shrugged the jacket back on, tucking his chin into the upturned collar; the discordant burst of a police siren urged him into a run. Vision spinning, his headache reached a crescendo and without seeing, he collided into the sturdy base of a lamppost.

"What do we have here?" A voice taunted from the periphery of a dream.

"It's the man mountain, the guy everyone is scared of." A nasally tone replied. "Dude is huge, just look at the size of his arms. Whoa, he's waking up. Stay away, I heard rumors he could kill someone just by accidentally hitting them on the head."

The faceless conversation continued, coaxing Rooque out of his dreamless sleep. "Hah, like that'll happen. You listen too much to street gossip, but all that for later; we did arrest him for being a suspect in a murder case." Eyes flying open, Rooque bolted upright from the thin mattress. Despite their words, both police officers shunted backwards, hands automatically reaching for their batons. "Whoa, easy there big guy." Their eyes fixated on the man sitting miserably on the too small bed. "We just want to ask you some questions right? Then you are free to go."

"I didn't kill anyone." Rooque rumbled and one of the officers scampered away, his pants wet. "I'm sorry for scaring you, but...I really did not kill anyone. I woke up this morning, in an alleyway next to the pub and on top of a corpse." Frowning, he scratched his head when the police officer questioned why he was sleeping on top of a dead man. "I...Don't remember. I think I went to the bar to drink and I passed out. Someone graciously left me in the alley?" Rooque admitted with a sheepish smile. The police sighed and motioned him to go through an adjacent door. Mumbling a thanks, he ducked through the entrance and all the occupants in the room, save for one woman, froze. She nonchalantly applied bright red lipstick, dark brown eyes glued to a compact mirror. Rooque stared at her, his eyes trailing at her ruby red lips. "Hello pretty officer," he greeted courteously and the woman snapped her mirror shut, unlike the trembling males, she flashed a beaming smile and implored him to take a seat. Grabbing a clipboard and a fountain pen, she quickly rattled a few questions. Name. Age. Occupation. Before asking him why he was found sleeping in dank alley. "I...Don't remember," the man confessed and gazed into her face. The policewoman simply nodded knowingly and pointed him to yet another door. Clutching the wall for support, he stumbled to the secluded room where another shivering personal eyed him. Overhead, fluorescent light burned holes in Rooque's retinas and the quaking officer asked him to strip.

Rooque gaped.

Strip?

Reluctantly, he took off his clothes. The jacket dropped to the floor and the police snatched it, turning the pockets inside out. Rooque tugged off his shirt, grimacing at the blood stains. A lattice of scars spiraled on his chest and groaning, he unbuckled his belt, peeled off his jeans and trembled in his boxers. More and more men spilled inside the cubicle, some of them eyeing his physique with a mixture of envy and scorn. Wrapping meaty arms around himself, Rooque dourly watched the police prod his clothing. They stored their findings in clear plastic bags. A bunch of keys. An old leather wallet containing a few bills and cards, a silver chain tangled with a lighter. Wads of chewing gum, a strand of hair? Lastly, they uncovered a pokeball and hissing, Rooque reached for the capsule and the officer in command leveled a Taser. A hypno, curled inside the sphere, lazily shifted. The miniscule beast viewed the surroundings through the clear dome of its pokeball. After much persuasion and a snarl or two, the officers relinquished Rooque's pokeball and he pressed his cheek against it. Hypno eyed him impassively before its face split into a grin and it crooned to its master.

Fully dressed, they ushered him back to the second room and head still spinning, Rooque did his best to answer the officer's questions. "Do you know your pokemon is capable of stealing memories if you lock eyes with it?" The police lady asked. He cradled the ball in his palm and gawped at her resentfully.

"Hypnos will never do that." He grinned and tapped the dome of the ball. "She is my partner and she looked after me ever since I was a wee brat." The officer shook her head, worry twisting her features. "Please don't look at me like that pretty lady; I'm telling you, Hypnos is a sweet creature. She never lets me have nightmares."

He wondered if his current predicament could be framed as a nightmare.

Thick, horizontal bars of metal obscured his vision of the outside world. He sported a shirt and pants with white and navy stripes. A heavy, black chain looped through his ankles. M-a-x-i-m-u-m Se-cu-rity Pri-son. Rooque squinted at the large lettering and sighed when the armored van dropped him into a lobby crawling with guards caressing rifles. The rest of the day rushed by in a blur of greys, sables and whites. Rooque stood before a moderately sized cell; eyes bloodshot with worry and stress, the roughnecks behind the bars grinned suggestively and ogled at him. Mind reeling in fear, he mindlessly shuffled inside, chains rattling with each step. Seeing him enter, the entire block erupted into a cacophony of screams, jeers and sneers. The men in the cell descended on him like starved hounds and Rooque whimpered when they clawed his cupped hands. A growl exploded out of his throat when one man snatched his pokeball. Blindly smacking him, Rooque waddled after the capsule rolling on the floor. Picking it, he held it to his chest and inmates eyed him with renewed fear and a hint of disdain. Wiping a dribble of blood flowing past his nose, the man who snatched Hypnos' pokeball muttered a slew of swear words and buried himself in the prison issued blankets.

Day melted into night. Night blended into day. Watery light or absolute darkness seeped through the crude window set high in the cell. One midnight, Rooque hunched underneath the window, a momentary flash of light speared the inky surrounds and he held his breath. None of the inmates woke. The hypnosis pokemon tumbled out of the capsule and he pressed her lithe body to his cachectic chest. Retrieving a crushed sandwich from his pocket, he offered the soggy food to her and the creature gratefully nibbled it. "Hypnos," he called and gently ran cracked fingers through her creamy ruff, "I'm so sorry you have to endure this with me." She played with her pendulum, pulling out a piece of paper stuffed in the center. Rooque smiled. "If it weren't for you, my life would be drenched in red...But it is a wonderful color isn't it? Red." He whispered to himself and recalled the creature. Joints pulsing in pain when he straightened, Rooque groaned and ambled to his bed, stopping when a bleary inmate interrogated him. "Just feeding Hypnos." Rooque curtly answered, "It hurts me to see her hungry." The man laughed and ran filthy hands down Rooque's arms, squeezing them suggestively.

His abrupt chuckles ended with a small exclamation when he dropped to the ground.

The next day everyone woke up to a man lying in the center of the cell. Rigid like stone. Skin pale as alabaster. Mouth open in a silent scream. Rooque glanced at the corpse swimming in its body fluids and threw up. Grasping the feathery strands of his hair, he wailed and covered his eyes.

"Nah...That big oaf couldn't have done it. Too caught up in his own world." The guards whispered.

Another asked, "But why send him here? To Whirl Islands? I've noted his behavior over the past year. He is as docile as a deerling. I hardly think Maximum security is the place for him." The authorities loaded the corpse on a gurney and wheeled away. Inside the cell, the roughnecks eyed Rooque, anger dripping off their expressions like melted wax. One of them veered to the trembling man mountain. "Oi! Knock it off; we are currently investigating so keep your hands to yourself. Anymore rough handling and I'll increase your labor hours." The guard pointedly warned and Rooque quaked violently, burying his face into his sparse blanket. He sniffed.

The next morning, the attempted assaulter was leashed to the bars. A bed sheet, torn to ribbons, roped the dead man to thick poles of steel. A final, white noose gave him a bloodless death. Rooque screamed and dove back into his bed, muttering deliriously.

"I didn't kill him." He jerked and declared when the warden squeezed his shoulder. "I swear on Arceus' name that I didn't kill him." He rocked. "Why is this happening to me?"

Midnight rolled around yet again. Rooque clambered off the bed and with silent footsteps, stopped at the corner of the cell. His feet skipped over an inconspicuous, circular indent in the cement flooring. Free from her pokeball, Hypnos telepathically raised the pillar of stone and a conduit opened. Fresh, salt tinged air caressed Rooque's face and he breathed. The hairs on his nape rose. Tingled. And he swiveled to face an aghast man carelessly gripping the ammonical urinals. Rooque cursed silently and aggressively swaggered to the prisoner. Sinewy fingers wrapped around the unfortunate man's throat, cutting off pleading gurgles. A warm corpse dropped to the floor like dead weight and Rooque sweated from the sheer effort needed to kill a man. Prowling back to the tunnel, he sat heavily on the floor, opposite hypno.

"Take it." He gently gripped the yellow pokemon's face and tipped her chin upwards. They locked gazes. "Take my memories." The pokemon squirmed in his grasp. "Let me be free." He commanded and slowly, very slowly, she swung the pendulum in front of her master's face. Rooque slumped forward, trapped in a momentary coma. Quickly, she scribbled words on a paper, archaic symbols flowing from her nail and inking the document. Scrunching the parchment, hypno wedged it into the center of her pendulum.

The authorities found him braving the treacherous oceans around Whirl Island. He swam for Johto. A thin speck in the churning waters. Chaos erupted in the prison when they found another man dead in the cells. Calls were forwarded, orders barked into poke-gears. Bird pokemon raked the skies, scope lenses clamped over their eyes. The convict did not go far and they found him in the north east, desperately swimming for Olivine City.

Rooque floated weakly on the salty waves. The sun baked his chest whilst the waters froze his back. The distant roar of a helicopter pierced through the all-pervading numbness seizing him. What did the authorities want now? He wondered and shut his eyes. First they arrest him for a murder he did not commit, then they send him to some sort of maximum prison crowding with unsavory characters and when he managed to dig his way out, they tail him across the oceans. Limbs fatigued, he mindlessly bobbed. A helicopter, hovering above the whirlpool studded sea, chopped the air and the waves careered wildly away from the vehicle. Droplets of water hit him like wet bullets and the copter's cabin door slid open. Rooque exhaled, his gaze landed on a beautiful woman, a fire red kimono swathing her shapely form. Her hair, a voluminous mane of deep russet, whipped in the wind. Inside the airborne vehicle's armored chamber, a darumaka danced to an unheard rhythm. Rooque's body grew leaden. The female held a large bow in her hands and nocked a golden arrow, the tip aligned with the middle of his forehead. He waited with bated breath and she let the weapon fly. The last thing he noted, was a startlingly crimson flower in the folds of her hair before the light of his life snuffed out.

* * *

Mid-morning

Treasure Town

Guild

Claws wrapped around a mug of milk, Green slunk through the guild's double doors, groggily eying the inhabitants milling in the foyer. Ahead of him, Layla and Red shouldered through the crowds and stopped at the reception desk. Charmeleon weaved to the information board and contemplated the new faces as a joltik and chikorita trembled in his presence; Green wondered what those two seemingly innocent pokemon did to land a place in Gehenna. Sipping heartily from his mug, he glanced at the current affairs section of the board and his tail blazed. The pokemon whispered, their worries cloaking the air like a smokescreen. The dungeon of Envy disappeared. They hoarsely worded and prayed for Giratina to have mercy. Moreover, a string of random murders put all the residents on edge. Corpses were found as far as the ice capped mountains. Drowning the milk, Oak waded out of the sea of monsters and met up with his friends. Absol, apprehensive, stalked to the meeting room and the duo followed her. Behind closed doors, they heard squealing and cheering, female voices vying for dominance. Green shuddered and opted to stay outside but as usual, Layla barked at him to hurry up and enter the room.

Corinthian pillars held a domed ceiling, fires flickered in iron brackets and the trio halted at the entrance. Apologizing for interfering, Layla backed away. Toothy maw stretched in a wide grin, Steelix beckoned them inside and the buzzing crowd parted. Green observed the mass of hysterical females and wondered what sort of meeting garnered such a turn up. He turned and grunted, slightly disappointed for not figuring it out sooner. Rooque hunched in a little stall bedecked with colorful banners and a long line of female pokemon snaked around the massive confines of the meeting room. A fan sign event. Oak seethed. The beasts sighed and fawned over the steel serpent and worst of all, more pokemon poured through the partially open doors. Infatuated screams and demands punctuated the chamber and Green's head spun. Slinking away, he froze when a vine snaked around his forearm.

Ivysaur quivered behind him. "I'm nauseous," he blathered. "I stood next to a dustox and we were sharing stories when suddenly Steelix gives us a smile and she..." Red coughed, "lets loose a hail of dust. It got into my eyes and throat and now I feel like throwing up. Are you going outside?" he questioned and Charmeleon nodded, pushing the gushing females aside. He kept his tail close to him, the urge to light something on fire was strong but he doubted Absol will understand if he told her it was an accident.

"Where are the two of you going?" The duo petrified in their tracks when Layla called out behind them.

Red prodded Green urgently. "You talk to her...Make up an excuse, tell her you...Uh...want a berry smoothie from the eating hall." The bulb shuddered when Layla prowled closer.

"No, you speak to her." Oak's tone strangled out of his throat, his tail flame sent the atmosphere into a sweltering heat. "You already have an excuse. Just say it so we can scram."

Red moaned pathetically. "I promise I won't bother you from now on. No more midnight trips or morning surprises or flowers to the face..." He clamped up when Absol's shadow fell on them. Charmeleon instinctively turned eyes leeching to the new necklace of bones wreathing her neck.

"...Come on!" She sniffed indignantly. "I'm not going to eat you two." Growling, she added, "I had no idea Rooque was this popular, I mean I guessed but this..." She shook her head. "The event lasts till noon." Sighing, she restlessly pawed the ground and frowned. The contents of Wiggly's letter swam in her mind. A mission with Steelix. Team Emblem members hardly went with anyone, much less an inexperienced group such as them. Spying Red and Green's concerned visages, she relented, "I am just curious as to why guild master Wiggly told us to go with him." Green countered that it will be a good way to get experience on the Dungeon of Wrath. "Yes, you are right; maybe I'm over thinking things." Layla replied, took a deep breath and watched Red bound into the mass, he bellowed something about an autograph and the crowd swallowed him.

A never ending queue stretched before his cyan irises and Steelix's smile froze on his face. He could not feel his jaws anymore. Grinning widely for the umpteenth photograph, he recited flowery praises for a bevy of giggling pokemon and promised to meet later. Inwardly, he prayed for the session to be over. He recalled his assignments. The first one was to escort a team through the fiery plans and skirt around Bryst's trial. Rooque grinned, he appreciated good company; the second mission entailed him to get down and dirty. Wigglytuff ordered him to infiltrate Bryst's dungeon and check on the protective sigils and caves. Investigating the Trial Master was near impossible. A link between ninetails and the spontaneous murders could not be found. Rooque winked at a cute little ivysaur clamoring for attention and absentmindedly wondered about Bryst. The insistent ivysaur called again and nodding, Rooque jerked when an acid dripping tendril slung around his throat. The plant type apologized profusely and the steel serpent blinked. Male? They were rare. A peppy laugh boomed out of Steelix's maw and he reassured the bumbling Ivysaur with a dry joke. To his surprise, Ivysaur guffawed and Rooque beamed. A first. No one laughed at his desert dry jokes, not even Melody or the guild master. Beaming, he asked for the plant type's name he stopped laughing.

"Red," he replied.

Afternoon

Gehenna

Outskirts

"Hahaha!" Red snorted for the fifteenth or fiftieth time. Green glowered, he lost count.

They traversed across the fiery plains situated east of Treasure Town. A ring of hills shielded the hamlet and the band of four picked their way to the Dungeon of Wrath through a stretch of smoking caramel sands and geysers of fire. Steelix led them, slithering on the glowing sands like he was immune to fire. "Here is another one." His animated voice floated through the air and Ivysaur, bud wrinkled, beamed. "What did one light pole say to the other?" Red snickered at the joke. "-Let's go out together!" Rooque hollered, he and Ivysaur stopped, ebullient laughter spilled from their mouths.

Charmeleon inhaled deeply. Didn't Red feel the heat? Layla smirked at him and he swallowed the urge to lash at her. "Jealous?" she taunted and he bristled, flexing his claws. _Jealous?_ He sniffed and quaked in rage when Ivysaur belted another scream of laughter. A heat haze shimmered in front of him and overhead, the sky remained a shocking, cloudless blue. The desert stretched endlessly, teasing them with a pool of water. As soon as they neared, the pool of water relocated, temptingly out of reach. Green marched aggressively; searching the shifting sands for life. Next to him, Layla panted, frequently stopping to drink greedily from a bottle of water. Sweat plastered her thick fur into ratty strands. In front of them, Steelix and Red ambled together and cracked odd jokes. The jokes prompted Oak to roll his eyes. There were not funny. Not funny at all. Absol agreed with him, groaning each time Rooque launched into a new one. The only one who laughed whole heartedly was Ivysaur. Each gag prompted tears of laughter and Charmeleon eased the tension from his body. A tiny part of him agreed that it was nice to see Red laugh so openly.

The quartet journeyed without meeting a soul in sight. When Rooque's repertoire of jests ran dry, Red ceased laughing and returned to reality. Dehydrated and paws scorched, he hopped over the sands and emptied a water bottle over his withering bulb. Steam whirled upwards, sucked by the sun's merciless rays. Layla watched despondently as Red dug for another bottle of water. Twisting the cap, he drowned it in one gulp. Steelix suggested they stop and wait for a while. Locating a patch of shadow beneath a towering sand dune, the group rested. Layla, Red and Rooque, lay on the gritty ground and snored whilst Oak, restless, watched the movements of the desert. Wind shifted tons of sand from one corner to the other. A tremor wracked through the plain and he ignored it.

Another quake swept through, Green bounced and glared at the earth to be still.

A final heave forced him to frantically scramble to his feet and dive for Red and Layla. The dune they rested on, tumbled and sand cascaded like a golden brown waterfall. Steelix snapped awake, digging his pointy tail tip in the earth, he threw himself over the trio. Oak gasped as he and his friends separated. He scrabbled the loose ground for purchase. Desert sand fell on him like rain, burying him, snuffing his light. Rooque's steel hard body coiled over Charmeleon's and he sunk lower. Light narrowed into a trickle as the space above his head filled with sand. Green fought, paddling the coarse grains away as it flooded down to him. No use. The world around him collapsed into a gritty darkness. The earth rocked like a spring, it compressed and shot forward. Wrapping his arms around Steelix' body, Green cried out, shouting at the serpent to stop burrowing downwards. Sand lodged in his throat and nostrils, preventing proper respiration. Angrily, Charmeleon hammered his maw on the diamond-esque surface of their escort's body and demanded what the serpent did. Rooque refused to comment, instead, he rumbled threateningly and silently dug further in the ground.

Exhausted, the fire type feebly groped around him, hoping to brush against his friends; instead, his arm went through more soil and a burst of liquid fire. Panic constricted his chest. What if Red was caught in that? Skin rubbed raw, he pricked his ears on hearing a noise. "Arrghhh! Green! Get your snout out of my bulb," Red hollered through a mouthful of sand. "It's disgusting, I swear my plant seeds are wilting thanks to your breath!" Despite the crass commentary, Oak smiled.

"I'm up here you idiot," Green rasped. "Sitting on Rooque's neck," he clarified. "That is probably Layla burying her snout in your bulb." The fire lizard heard his friend gurgle.

Layla blinked, waking up to all consuming darkness was not a pleasant experience. "Green?" she called.

"Yeah?"

"You were right when you said Red stinks...He reeks." Absol straightened, scraping her claws against Rooque's body. "What happened? Where are w-"

"I don't stink!" Ivysaur shrieked. "And obviously my sweet scent is going to be potent if you bury your nose in my bulb. I bet if you lick Green your tongue will explode." Red slung around the writhing serpent.

Green sighed. "Why are you bringing me into this? I taste like burnt honey, unfortunately for you." Although he told a white lie, Red did not have to know the truth. Smiling when Red sputtered, he heard the duo bantering, their words muffled by sand.

"All of you, keep quiet!" Steelix roared when the argument reached a peak and silence reigned supreme.

Layla shifted, making herself comfortable on the coils of steel. "So, now that we have your attention...Do you mind telling us exactly _why_ you are digging underground?" she questioned. Again, no reply. Urgency seeped in Rooque's movements and he did a series of sharp turns. The diamond-like spikes on its body threw a faint glow in their dim environment and Steelix ploughed forward; with a mighty heave, he broke ground cover. The iron snake roared defiantly and Green desperately reached for the necklace of uncut gems rotating around the serpentine monster. Earth exploded; Steelix cannoned out of the desert tunnel and arced in the air, three smaller monsters perilously held on to him and fluttered in the arid air like plump flags. Rooque's body reflected sunlight and he neatly landed back on the sand. Immediately, the trio jumped off, mouths hanging open at the vortices of fire writhing on the glittering plans. Gaping they collectively swiveled their heads at Rooque, demanding for an explanation. Cyan eyes narrowing, Steelix smiled sheepishly and told them this was hell and the three nodded solemnly.

This is hell. Gehenna.

They were supposed to be roasting in those whirling fires, not avoiding them.

Fire was his element and yet the vermilion flames made him shiver. Uncaring about the plate of super-heated sand burning his soles, Green trudged in a straight line and ignored his teammate's plaintive pleas. Sweat beaded his forehead and steamed down his forearms. He studied the ground, beneath his feet, the brown sands smoked; Layla shouted, her words blending with the ominous roar gushing through his ears. Fascinated, Oak stood there as a spring of golden lava erupted out of the soil and bathed him from head to toe. The smell of sulphur, iron and compressed gemstones wafted from the burst vein and the fire flowed cool against his feverish skin. Red screamed, un-wrapped his vines from Rooque's bulk and bounded dangerously close to the pool of flames, he reached for Charmeleon and recalled hissing appendages. "Green! Are you crazy?" Red demanded worriedly when the dragon wiped lava off leathery skin. "I know fire does not hurt you, but," he protested, "it probably felt like a bath to you didn't it?" he asked. Ignoring him, Green's eyes gleamed nastily and without warning, he shot off, chasing a phantom beast. "Can someone please explain why he changed so much?" Red pleaded. "It's freaking me out. The Green I know prefers to strategize his way out of a predicament, not rush headlong in it." The seed monster frowned. "Diving without thinking is my specialty."

 _At least he is being honest about it._ Absol weakly wagged her tail.

She wondered how to best explain, the last thing she wanted, was another misunderstanding between the two. Behind them, Rooque calmly swept the horizon, gaze calculative and searching for Arceus knew what. "You know how evolution works?" The dark type began and Red nodded sagely. "Some monsters undergo drastic changes in both mind and body. For example you are a plant type and judging from the first time we met, I think you mellowed out considerably, though at times you can be really annoying," Absol intoned. Ivysaur beamed like she complimented him and the sun burned brighter. "Stop that!" she hissed, "I'm turning into monster jerky." Red wilted. "In any case, Green is a fire type and they are famous for their fiery temperaments. Moreover, Charmeleon have vicious and aggressive natures. His drastic change in personality is due to hormones."

"Hormones?" Red tilted his head; his smile indicated Layla lost him a long, long time ago. "So Green is looking for a girl friend? Hmm...I should have known."

Digging her claws in the burning sand, Layla inhaled deeply. Patience. "Red...I'm talking about personality changes due to hormones. Oak will constantly rage and fly off while he is a charmeleon, so we have to make sure he does not get his head lopped off by mistake. Get used to it, he'll pounce on anything with a breath. Kind of like a brainless barbarian..." she mused and the grass type snorted.

"Who are you calling a brainless barbarian?" Green growled and trained his glowering glare at Red, "and no, I'm not looking for a girl friend." He lifted something to his lips and took a healthy bite of what seemed like roasted meat. "Look what I found." He held a carcass and Red bolted backwards, swallowing rapidly to keep down his fruit sandwich. "A staraptor in the desert. I grilled it to perfection," Oak proudly declared and offered a portion to Layla. "Want some?"

To their alarm, Rooque snatched the half-eaten bird out of Green's grasp. The dragonoid looked at his empty claws and back at the iron snake, eyes comically swimming with the pain of betrayal. Next to him, Red regurgitated his breakfast on the sand.

"Where did you get this?" Rooque bore on Charmeleon with unexpected fury and the dragon kid shrunk. "Tell me...Where did you find this bird? Don't worry, when I'm done examining it, you can finish it." The serpent promised, Oak's tail lifted somewhat and ignoring the hurling Ivysaur, he pointed to the west. Relating how he discovered a lone bird with a clipped wing crashing to the ground. "Alone?" Rooque pressed, "completely alone?" Green nodded hurriedly. "I see..." Steelix examined the bird's talons and neck, sharp punctures stood out against its dull plumage from where Green crunched teeth over it. A miniscule collar hung around the Staraptor's wiry neck and with great difficulty, Rooque extracted it. A lustrous sapphire, crafted in the center of a silver band, diffused ominous magic. Pocketing the black market artifact, Steelix closed his eyes whilst Green reluctantly grabbed his lunch and chomped. "Mel...Are you there?" A voice resounded in Steelix's head. "Do you know about a single staraptor with a broken wing, flying near the Dungeon of Wrath?" he asked and she squeaked a negative. "I have a collar...Looks like a jammer with a curse...From Bryst." Rooque lowered his voice when the trio of younger monsters kicked up an argument. "When I'm done here, I'd like you to examine it." Cutting the psychic link, he turned and ducked when Green, in a fit of anger, lopped a bone over his head. "Let's go, we will be skirting the mouth of Bryst's trial," Steelix said and gestured to the east.

* * *

Corpses.

The sandy desert gave way to a canyon. A rickety bridge, slats of rotting wood threaded with gnawed rope, swayed over a chasm filled with fog. A multitude of stakes decorated the plain, like tall trees devoid of leaves. Tied to these were corpses. Dried, withered skulls and tattered clothing hanging off bones yellowed with age. Beyond the creaking bridge and staves, the Dungeon of Wrath shimmered on the horizon. An arch gate lead to a ghostly dome standing in a field littered with implements of punishment. Layla swallowed the ball of anxiety rising in her throat and eyed Red. Surprisingly, he did not cower and instead, ogled the dungeon determinedly. Breaking away, Ivysaur crawled near the bridge. A platform of reddish soil rose like a mountain on either side. Behind him, the desert spewed plumes of fire. Purple and black mist flowed through the fissure and in spite of the bridge's frail appearance, it held Steelix's weight. Red re-examined the bridge, astonished at the steel columns and chains keeping the passage upright. Rooque toothily grinned and implored them to go home, their mission had been fulfilled. The trio waited for the serpent to disappear and once Steelix' spiky tail tip slithered through the open doors, they fell back. Green and Red studied the area some more, inspecting the corpses and stakes. Layla simply stared. Humans...she contemplated and gawped at a skeleton's face. Did she once look like this? Startled out of her ruminations when Red flung a bone at her, she snarled at him. Ivysaur's giggles cut short when Green whacked him with a bone.

To her utter mortification, the duo delved into a duel. With bones. Gritting her teeth, she watched them pulling femurs and rib bones and using them like swords. Oak equipped himself with a scapula shield whist Red armed his vines with bone clubs and spinal vertebrae projectiles. Yelling a war cry, they descended on each other. The seed pokemon chucked skulls and spine bones and Green, hefting his rib-bone blade, expertly clubbed the projectiles out of the air. Holding his shoulder blade shield, he advanced, ducking when a fragmented skull soared over his head. Red backed away, vines curling over discarded bones. Hefting eight long bones in the air, he grinned victoriously and stabbed all of them downwards. Charmeleon paused; he threw down his pathetic shield and quickly raised his arms in surrender.

The duo dissolved into a fit of light hearted laughter.

"If you are done desecrating the dead," Layla huffed, "then let's leave. Dusk will fall and we don't want to get lost in the desert. Well...If the moon comes out it will be a little cooler so we will be making good progress." Nodding in agreement, Green moved first, his tail an orange blur. Layla exhaled. Smiling, Red fell in step with her and the duo rapidly tailed after Charmeleon.

Dusk

Dungeon of Wrath

Interior

What a pleasant surprise. When Steelix slithered through the arch gates and into the dungeon, he found the trial master waiting for him. Bryst was beautiful with a spotless, cream colored fur and a wailing, cursed tail. The regal beast whipped his voluminous appendage and the air shimmered. Drawing himself to his full height, Bryst quietly demanded what Rooque needed. On the rocky floor between them, a large, crinkly parchment automatically inked a map. Ninetails eyed it impassively, igniting one tail, he torched the piece of paper and Steelix dove, snatching the document in his mouth. "Greetings Team Emblem member Rooque," Bryst dipped his head courteously, "what brings you to my dungeon? Most Pokemon avoid it at all costs." Steelix rumbled incomprehensibly, his voice grating like crashing boulders. "I understand Wiggly and you meddling Team Emblem members visit the dungeons to carve protective niches and sigils," Bryst padded closer, cream paws sinking into rivers of lava, "however, this is no Poke-earth, the sinners are sent here to be punished and you are tampering with Lord Giratina's will."

Coiling to the side, Rooque resolved to put as much space as he could between the fox and himself. The creature's handsome looks hid a terrifying personality. Taking care not to brush his body against the tiny fissures of lava, the iron snake backed against a wall. He retrieved the ring he found earlier and held it out, ordering the fire type to explain. Bryst's ruby eyes glittered with a brief spark of recognition; and he feigned ignorance. Rooque growled. The earth quaked and dust rained from the roof. The steel serpent knew the dungeon master had some involvement in the slaughtering of Treasure Town's residents. When he accused the fire type, Ninetails arched an eyebrow.

"I see. You impress me." The ghost calmly licked his fur. "I was under the impression you were merely brawn with no brains."

The iron snake seethed. "Wait till Wiggly hears about this." Steelix threatened and pocketed the miniscule collar."

"Till Wiggly hears about this?" Bryst repeated and shook his head. "What? You actually think I will let you leave this place alive?" Rooque backed away and Ninetails climbed out of the rivulet of lava. "Perhaps I was mistaken. You are an idiot after all."

* * *

 **A/N:** A bit of a back story on Rooque. Much thanks for all those reading.

At Jack54311: As for how they become Trial Masters, it is explained later on in the story. Ehehe, I really didn't know how to fit mega evolution in here but Absol (the pokemon) is one of my favorites...along with Flygon and Empoleon so I couldn't resist. As for what's killing the pokemon...


	15. Taste of wrath

**Taste of wrath**

Dusk

Dungeon of Wrath

Interior

The interior of Bryst's dungeon boiled bones. Lava oozed down rocky walls, pooling in the middle of the cavern. Standing knee deep in a puddle of liquid fire, Bryst calmly studied the sweating snake. Steelix, unnerved by the ghosts bound to the fox's tail, torpedoed forward and his head rebounded against a protective sphere of energy. Tiny hammers beat in his skull. The spirit of wrath smirked, ruby eyes glinting knowingly. Retracting, Rooque rocketed forward once more, steam curling around its maw; he shattered the protect, scattering wafer thin fragments and his gargantuan head stopped short of smashing into Bryst's face. Fur and hackles raised, Bryst snarled and flicked his tail. The bright surroundings dimmed. Fire blackened, rivulets of lava morphed into a tarry substance. A thousand specters emerged, howling and clawing their faces. The earth exploded and a whirling pillar of fire wreathed the iron snake.

The eruption ceased and the environment faded into black. Twitching angrily at the guild master, Bryst tensed. A gothitelle hovered next to a puddle of steel, keeping the iron snake's remains from spreading all over the floor. Rooque, a mere head wobbling dangerously on top of a stick thin neck and a melted body, managed a final, defiant growl before the light left his eyes. Wiggly, expression unreadable, wiggled his fingers and Ninetails crouched low, all senses on high alert; the veins along his head distended, blood pumped furiously and the dungeon master pounced. His creamy fur tinged grey as it brushed across the cave's roof. Paws outstretched, he descended and a black blur pummeled him sideways. Bryst pounded into a wall, breathless from the impact crating the earth. Wrath fuelled features twisted into disbelief; he blinked a few times before registering the appearance of Darkrai. Seething, Ninetails humbly crouched to the floor. "My lord," he rumbled and the nightmare apparition solidified. "What brings you to my humble abode?"

"Humble," Wiggly snorted. "I'd like to know why you are attacking a member of my team." He leaned heavily on his smoking staff, the bottom tip hissing against a streamlet of lava. "Rooque completed the dungeon of Wrath, don't mess with my team or I'll send Darkrai after you," Wigglytuff warned. Ninetails growled threateningly at the comment and its tails swayed hypnotically.

Black smoke diffused into the tiny cavern and the nightmare offshoot glared at Melody, commanding her to leave. The psychic type stubbornly endured the glare before winking out of existence. Fixing a glowing eye on the flippant Ninetails, Darkrai intoned, "First of all, I am not your pet," he hissed and speared Wigglytuff with a shadow. The guild master squealed and bounced to a corner, nursing the wound. "Secondly, there seems to be a problem. Bryst makes a valid argument; these trials are not for breezing through, the sinners traversing through them, must be subjected to utmost torture. The experiences should break their minds and spirits. If they perish, then all the better." In the corner, Wiggly huffed. Darkrai swung his attention to the bubbling balloon pokemon and added, "You must stop coddling those who enter Gehenna, this is not a playground and you," the nightmare ghost refused to look at the smoldering Bryst, "should keep your paws to yourself. You are overstepping your boundaries Wrath, do it one more time and I shall personally deal with you." Bryst inhaled sharply and the curse on his tails lifted, bathing the cavern in a humid orange. "Leave Wigglytuff and do not tamper with Gehenna's organization." Floating closer to the panting guild master the ghost leaned low and hoarsely whispered, "Or I will kill you." Darkrai left, cyan eye evaporating after his body vanished. Wigglytuff banged his staff on the earth, gibbered into his palm and teleported. Bryst straightened from his crouched position and his gaze trailed on the puddles of metal dotting the floor. Rage, red hot, coursed through him and he set the entire cavern on fire.

Four hours later, a blackened husk remained.

* * *

A few days later, mid-morning

Treasure Town

Church

Tiny wisps of smoke diffused from the altar, the heady scent of sandalwood and musk intermingled with whispered prayers uttered by pokemon sitting in the pews. Images of Lord Arceus and the creation trio weaved a story on the left wing. Several multi-colored plates rotated around the Original one and he waged a war against the three titans. Beneath Giratina's drawing, a bubbling gate frothed, next to Palkia, the cosmos extended. Numerous panels sliced Dialga's form and behind Arceus, the sun rose, a blinding half sphere emerging between two mountains. Restless, Layla directed her attention to the fresco on the roof. A giant painting of Reshiram and Zekrom covered the ceiling and her amber eyes washed over the jet black surface of the electric dragon. The two dragons circled each other, teeth bared, tail flared. Blue fire streaked behind Reshiram, the epitome of ideas and light. The white dragon represented masculinity, life, passion and fire. In contrast, Zekrom sucked energy, sparks of lazuline electricity discharged from its tail. The ebony beast iconized the truth, darkness and feminine energy, a patron for those seeking true, hard facts and not sugar coated lies. Switching her attention to the soft murmur next to her, Layla watched Melody kneel with her palms pressed against each other. Gothitelle's crown of jewels hung crookedly on her head.

After Red and Green finished their mock fight, the trio crossed the desert and launched into a trophy count. Unsurprisingly, Green won. Ivysaur, his intellectual powers falling short of the pompous charmeleon, merely sputtered the entire way through whilst Oak ticked achievements off his blade-esque claws and still pounced on anything with a heartbeat. The next morning, a cacophony exploded at the guild. An urgent summon from Tamen pulled Layla from her daily patrols and she guarded the main street leading to the guild. Team Emblem materialized at the end of the path amidst a collective, astonished gasp and Melody suspended a pool of silver liquid in the air. A melted Rooque. Along the way, Wigglytuff collapsed and another wave of shock rippled through the congregation on the streets. Manectric, glasses missing and tail a nervous blur, exited from the guild and when he spied the commotion on the stained streets, he smoothly folded into a mega evolved state and scattered the leering crowd. Thunder danced across cloudy skies. Wiggly and Rooque were quickly ushered into an emergency healing room and Layla returned home, wondering how to break the news to her flat mates.

All things considered, the duo surprisingly absorbed the information without asking many questions. Green nodded sagely and Ivysaur's back bloomed into rhododendrons.

Layla blinked, Red's bulb stopped oozing sap and instead of popping random razor leaves and stinging clouds of poison, he produced a variety of flowers. Of them, the images of white lilies plagued her mind. The duo squabbled about breakfast and thereafter, planned to spend the next few days training and strategizing. Absol sighed and grudgingly accepted their intense training offer.

"Apart from completing the Trial of Wrath, we have to get revenge for Rooque," Red passionately declared and the purple blossoms wilted, carpeting the immaculate kitchen floor with withered petals; groaning, Green hunted for the broom and silently followed the seed pokemon around, sweeping the petals. "I have a feeling this Bryst dude isn't gonna go easy on us. I mean, he is the personification of anger." Red shivered. "We have to be prepared; I'm not...going to let my emotions get the best of me." Mumbling, Ivysaur scoured the kitchen, bringing out several jams and bread. He absent mindedly started a fire in the hearth and stared at it, hypnotized by the flames.

Snorting, Green grabbed a bucket of water and doused the flames. "Revenge is good and all but remember why we are here," Oak voiced exasperatedly. "We don't have time to worry about others. Aren't you a bit afraid?" He tossed the bucket into a random direction and threw his hands up. "The next dungeon contains fire," Green growled. "FIRE!" he yelled. "You are a plant and Giratina forbid you turn into charcoal. Red, get your head out of whatever hole you buried it in and focus on surviving and not falling prey to whatever is in that dungeon." The irate dragon coughed, pouring sulphurous smoke in the room.

"Oh my..." The soothing sound of waves lapping on a beach shattered Absol's reverie. "You don't have much time." The present rushed back to her, hushed voices, desperate prayers and fragrant smoke. "You do not have much time," Gothitelle repeated and her eyes flicked to a space above the dark beast's head. "I assume you have either one or two dungeons to complete?" Layla politely dipped her head, in the distance, a blissey wound through the pews, offering snacks and consolation to broken monsters. "Congratulations then, I look forward to the day you may finally leave Gehenna and start a new life." A scintilla of unknown emotion filtered through Melody's eyes and she shook her head. "In any case, I should leave." She rose from her seat and Red woke, mouth stretched into a yawn. "I have to take care of Team Emblem duties, since Wiggly is confined to administration." A twinkling laugh escaped her lips and she explained, "Don't worry, Wiggly is fine, he just needs rest. The work of maintaining Gehenna falls on his shoulders and tires him easily. He may seem flamboyant but he sacrificed much to get Treasure Town in working order," Gothitelle stated. Contemplatively munching on an apple, Green trained viridian eyes on Melody and she jolted. The dragon kid's head buzzed full of questions. And he demanded answers. Like Rooque, she realized and discretely snapped her fingers. Moments later, Oak wilted, head drooping and a snot bubble distending from his nostrils.

The psychic pokemon bowed to Blissey and Audino, gliding to the center aisle, she pushed the heavy doors open, spilled into the streets and sighed. Glancing at the stained glass window, she turned towards the guild and floated away.

Sitting on the polished wooden pews, Red chewed a leaf and observed Green slouching lower and lower in the seat. The bubble on Charmeleon's nostril popped and he jerked awake, a bewildered expression on his face. Ivysaur's jaw tightened, what did that psychic pokemon do? Shelving questions for later, he suggested heading to the eatery, for research purposes. A loud gurgle issued from Red's stomach and Green peered suspiciously, nudging Layla who was preoccupied by the pipe organ dominating the northern corner of the church. The trio excused themselves and spilled out in the streets. Next to the church, a gust of wind blew through the park, bearing the fragrant aroma of lavender and sweet grass. The trio turned north, marching past the weed choked village center and mossy, faceless statues. Papers and dust chased each other, faded banners hung limp from lamp posts. Pokemon hurried, grim realization stamped on their faces.

Vespiquen's eatery loomed, a modest two story building. The warm scent of honey flood the interior and the trio relaxed. Familiar faces sat at tables and combee buzzed around, depositing food or maneuvering a tray. Striding past the bar, Red scanned the walls, eyes tracing hexagonal shapes; he sought a stone table and scrambled to it. Ceramic tiles gave way to soft hay. Chatter filled the air and he caught snippets of conversation. A scarred dragonite worried about his comrade, whilst a Mr. Mime worried about himself. Tuning out, Red gulped a glass of water and under Green's scrutinizing glare, retrieved a pad of paper and a stick of charcoal from his bag. Feigning innocence, Ivysaur schooled his expression into what he deemed scholarly and glared at the notes, willing them to combust.

Glasses and plates clinked and Charmeleon sniffed the air greedily, somewhere, some obscure carnivore sunk its teeth in a juicy steak. A tray of sandwiches, juice and tankards of honey peppered their round table. Layla closed her jaws over a sandwich and pulped them between her teeth; Green reached for a mug of steaming milk and studied a sandwich. Peaches and cream. Shrugging, he bit into it and grinned, the cream tasted divine. "Red...You are not fooling anyone with that look of yours," the dragonoid flatly stated. "If you were trying to appear studious, save it, you won't fool a brain dead magikarp. Study each and every bit of information and recite them to me. Now." Oak ordered and drowned his milk. Bryst, the trial master of wrath, reduced a gargantuan steel snake into a pool of silver liquid. Green suppressed his shredding instincts and meticulously conducted research on the dungeon. Wrath is quoted to be the second most difficult dungeon, right after Sloth and Green feared for their lives. His glassy irises slid to Layla who lapped a dish of milk, she drank calmly but her vacillating irises belied anxiety.

"You're not my mo…Never mind." Red bit down a retort when his best friend's tail blazed. "Green, I know you are worried but relax okay? At this rate you're gonna go bald," he droned and his bud gurgled in agreement.

Layla choked on her berry smoothie. "In case you haven't noticed, he is bald." She pointed to the hairless dragon.

Red wolfed a seed loaf and chased the dry slices with a swig of juice. The atmosphere heated and Charmeleon's grip cracked a glass mug. "He...there is a single horn sprouting on top of his head so don't you dare call him bald!" Ivysaur quickly added and beamed to appease the seething Oak. "Sparks, that was a cruel thing to say, I'll have you know, Green is very good looking." The pokemon in question grunted and Red squeaked, "Yeah yeah, I studied, so let me rattle the facts to you."

Mildly surprised and satisfied with Red's lengthy rambles, Green dully nodded and Ivysaur gleefully dug into his meal. Vespiquen and her order of combee swept through the establishment, trilling greetings, encouragements and promotions. More pokemon swelled into the eatery and gravitated to their choice of seats, whether it be a giant birdcage dangling from the ceiling or a marble pool overflowing with plants and greenish suds. Layla leaned on her hunches and smacked her lips clean.

"I have been thinking," she began and Red's chin dripped with crushed berries, "we should train together, all three of us so we may know our strengths and weaknesses." The two monsters slowly agreed. "I would like to get over this dungeon as quickly as possible so as soon as you two are ready, we can head to the dojo and train. First of all, we need to find out each other's strengths and weaknesses. Especially the weakness, it is vital-"

"Why?" Red interjected. "I get the strength part but why should we focus on highlighting our weaknesses? Sounds like bad game and manipulative tactics to me." Absol's eye twitched when the grass type leered meaningfully at her. A thin vine snaked across the table and deftly wound itself around her tankard of honey.

Picking his teeth with an overgrown claw, Green stopped when Layla glared disgustedly at him. "...Force of habit," he mumbled and watched Red tip a tankard of honey into his wide maw. Oak's chuckles deflated when Layla growled threateningly. "Let's head over to Mienshao's dojo now, we can train till the evening and head to the dungeon at night," Charmeleon declared and Red sputtered a negative. "Red, we don't have much choice, you can take a bath before we leave. Remember, we are crossing a desert, you and Layla will be as useful as a withered bulb and a luxurious carpet." Ivysaur guffawed and Green rolled his eyes, he failed to see anything funny. "Besides, tonight we are having a full moon and about what Layla discussed," he turned to her, "you are right; it makes sense to know each other's weaknesses in case we need to be subjugated." At his comment, Red abruptly stopped guzzling and pushed his utensils away. "If we are done here, let's move." The trio looked away from each other and played with their food. Weaknesses, Green pondered, no one in their right mind would want to tell others what they were afraid off. In the next seat, Red toppled off his perch and lay on the floor of hay, eyes glassed over.

Afternoon

Gehenna

Dojo

Alone, Master Mei contemplated on the emotion of grief. She tried to grasp the feeling but it did not come easily to her in the day. As the sun sunk beneath the horizon and the first stars appeared, she found herself staring at the darkening sky and seeking constellations. When the sky became a black canopy, the tears fell. Volcarona spontaneously combusted some weeks back and when Mei finished training a new batch of recruits and ordered a delivery of Vespiquen's finest fruit sandwiches, she daintily climbed the second floor and resolved to spend a quiet evening plotting and planning the best routes for the next trial. However, after she opened the door, Mienshao saw no volcarona waiting for her. Putting the paper bags on a table, she peered into the basket.

Black scorch marks decorated the wicker. A mound of ash lay in a triangular pile amongst the nest of leaves, webs and branches.

The martial arts pokemon paused her pacing and briskly wiped tears. She heard voices. Red and his friends; she mused and elegantly folded her arms. As predicted, the paper screen door opened and the grass type torpedoed inside, sailing over her head and smashing into a banner. His plant sap smudged the scroll and he fell, spitting curses. Moments later, an orange blur blitzed past, Mei, having no patience for such unsavory behavior, slammed an aura sphere in Green's abdomen. Charmeleon, expression twisting into bewilderment, warbled a threat and sunk to the floor. Stalking behind the troublesome duo, an absol made its appearance, unlike the squabbling fire and grass types, the disaster pokemon politely bowed and stated their reasons for visiting.

Training. To better understand each other. In the background and amidst gasps of pain, Red suggested a battle royale.

Mei nodded, she needed a distraction, perhaps seeing the resolve in their eyes would encourage her to move forward? The mismatched group scrambled to their places and dominated three corners of the spacious room. Tension split the air and the smell of sweat hung like a shroud. Mienshao stepped backwards and observed. Layla's form was near perfect, hunched close to the ground, the lithe monster's eyes darted calculatingly across the room, muscles tensed under her coat. In contrast, Green fixated on Red, his attention burning a hole in the grass type's bulb, the dragonoid rocked on his feet. Ivysaur stayed completely still, his vines tangled together, spreading across the floor.

The martial artist pokemon clapped her hands.

"Begin." Her voice rung in the room.

A smear of orange and black dominated the space. Inky shadows dotted the polished tiles, slithering towards the inert ivysaur and Charmeleon viciously dove for the pools, pulling the umbrae. Red simply grinned, and unleashed great balls of compacted seeds. A seed bomb pelted the two opponents and exploded on the floor, sending wooden chips flying everywhere. Layla hurtled, missing a brilliant flamethrower from singeing her coat. Seashells and gems clinked discordantly. Haematic flames reflected off Red's crimson irises and fear petrified him. The searing flames careered closer and he whimpered. The fire washed over him, leaving blisters in its wake. Pain. Ivysaur sluggishly registered. An indescribable, skin peeling agony. He struggled to stay conscious, but his body refused to obey commands. A large shadow took shape in the corner of his vision. White and black. Sparks, he thought. A heavy blow landed on his head and the world whirled. Snarls and growls blended with the wooden floors, the statue-like dojo master and a spill of vibrant, olive blood on the floor.

The world stopped turning and Red drooped; eyes glued to the destruction inside the room. Pockmarks and scorches ripped the gleaming floor and the burnt paper screen door flapped pathetically in a breeze. Layla pushed Ivysaur to his wobbly feet whilst meters away from them, Green weakly sat on the floor. "Why didn't you dodge that?" he demanded, tail weakly slapping the ground. "You...Could've done something like weaving a protect. Why did you simply stand there and absorb it?" Frustrated, Green yelled and clenched his fist, blade claws lacerating his palms.

"I-" Ivysaur gathered his thoughts. "I was doing that...You know." Layla pushed her face into his and demanded what exactly he was doing. "...I'm really afraid." Red swallowed the lump lodged in his throat. "So I thought of testing myself, to see how much heat I can take." He shook his head. "I'll be roasted alive before I get to the throne room. Maybe...I should attempt this trial later," he trailed off. "I don't want to be a burden to anyone, it takes all of our wits just to stay alive in a dungeon a-" Another pounding to the side of his head cut his sentence off and rendered him dizzy.

The contused bulb whizzed across the floor and halted to a steaming stop in a corner. Red's pomegranate petals, laced with yellow paralyze spores, fell to the floor and his skin bore bruised tones of purple and black. "You don't want to be a burden is it?" Charmeleon hissed and lowered his forearm. "There is a reason why we attempt these trials in groups; it is so we can rely on each other. I did not forget what you did in the dungeon of Pride." Green's voice dropped. "I can never forget. I am sick and tired of you attempting to do everything by yourself. You are a selfish moron with no regards to other monsters' feelings and I will say this as many times as I want! Stop doing whatever takes your fancy! This isn't a game, we are fighting to survive and this is not one of your tournaments..." Oak scowled, the words he lined up neatly, scattered, falling through an invisible sieve rooting in his head. "Ah...Like I said, this isn't one of your...Whatever! We are leaving for the dungeon of Wrath tonight and we will make it through alive, just make sure you don't lose your head. Arceus," Green turned to Absol and announced, "Red is damn frightening when he gets angry." Irritably scoring his claws on a tiny, mobile slate, Oak pulled a limp vine. A watery smile bloomed across Red's face and he reluctantly followed Charmeleon back home.

Burnt orange light painted the sky and the trek home felt like an eternity. The trio passed the guild and Red pondered on the difficulties they may face during the trials. Thanks to Green, he did not fear fire but the thought of having his friends rescue him from pools of lava, frightened him. A flock of birds arced overhead, trailing a banner over the guild and to the distant south, the church bell tolled. The group rushed to the village square, stopping only when cracked stone brushed against their paws. Spellbound, they watched teleporting circles pop in front of the guild building and a dozen evolved pokemon materialized on the concentric rings. Burlap sacks on backs and faces screwed into victorious smiles, the monsters greeted each other, guttural tones rending the air. Spoils of war gleamed in the late afternoon sun. Worries forgotten, Red scrambled on top of Layla's back and Green nearly fainted to the floor from fright. That ivysaur is suicidal, Oak dully concluded. In front of them, the congregation of burly beasts swaggered through the guild's great wooden entrance. Perhaps one day, the three of them could explore dungeons like experts, the contemplation sent a delighted tingle racing up Red's spine. The euphoric thoughts crashed when Layla dug her jaws into his blistered hide and mercilessly tossed him to the ground. Despite his struggle, the surroundings folded into a velvety black.

* * *

Cool water lapped on raw skin and a soothing voice teased him from the chasm of oblivion. Red grappled with the dulcet tone, desperately wishing to catch them in his gloved palm but like snowflakes, they landed feather soft on top of the latex and melted into nothingness. Brown hair. He wrestled between dreams and reality. Long brown hair and red eyes? Or were they blue? He struggled to remember. Gasping, he opened his eyes to a pair of golden irises, staring at him with relief and revulsion. Paddling to the edge of the large tub, Red flushed, cheeks tinting a bright green and questioned why Layla shared the bath with him.

She rolled her eyes and dipped lower into the greyish water. "Get real, I'd happily let your deadweight body drown if it weren't for your smoldering friend over there." She jerked her head to where Green sat on the tiles and used his tail fire to warm himself. "And someone had to pull your dead skin off." Layla's lip curled in disgust. "Besides, we are monsters and you are hardly anything to look at." At this, Charmeleon burst out laughing at some private joke, tears of mirth sprung to his eyes; Red blushed some more and turned his back on a sopping Layla. "How modest," she drawled and climbed out of the tub, long snowy fur clinging to her lithe body in matted strands. "If you are done soaking, we need to pack and leave, the sun is setting." Absol shook herself free of stray droplets; Oak clutched his flaring tail to his chest and ducked whilst Layla merely smirked and exited the bathroom.

Bobbing listlessly in the tub, Red stared at the single window, outside the light faded into a dilute orange. Olive green scum rimmed the large basin and he sighed, after they finished the dungeon of Wrath, Sparks will force him to clean the bathroom. Mundane duties...Since when did the prospect of household chores excite him? Exhaling, he drained the filthy water. Pieces of dead plant matter and withered leaves littered the bottom of the tub. He blinked.

An orange dragon hide, crimson tipped fur and ivory tusks lay concealed amongst wilted leaves.

He blinked again and inhaled sharply. Alarm flared in his chest.

Night

Gehenna

Plains of Fire

Icy heat and burning cold clashed on the plains. The desert sparkled under moonlight, an unbroken plain of glittering jewels. The trio trudged forward, teeth chattering and complaining and Green, unable to withstand the frigid winds blowing across the desert, wrapped himself from leaves salvaged from Red's back. The sky, a cloudless, ebony canopy, shone with a pale white moon and a scattering of stars. Another glacial gust froze the trio to their bones and a few feet away from Red, a vein of liquid fire spurted upwards. Mesmerized by the bruised hues, the group watched, grateful for the heat. Unhesitatingly, Charmeleon stepped in sighed blissfully, he melted into the fire, crooning in delight. Blithely, Red jumped closer, wanting to melt the layer of rime coating his back; unfortunately, Absol roared and swiped him sideways. The plume of fire collapsed and Oak hurriedly dug through the melted sand, imploring for the lava to gush out again.

The moon smiled cruelly down on them.

"Alright." Red, teeth rattling in his skull, asked, "Whose bright idea was it to go through the desert at night?"

Charmeleon and Absol simultaneously yawned. "Yours." They deadpanned and slogged through the icy sands.

"...On the bright side, we are conserving water," Ivysaur chirped. "Seriously though, why didn't any of you tell me it was going to be this chilly? I can't feel my legs!" Red timorously complained and wondered if he could hitch a ride on Layla's back. Halting, she rotated and glared at him. "What?" He sweated. "I'm admiring your snowy coat under the full moon. The silver light really reflects off your...Umm..." His eyes swiveled to the bone necklace, a tiny skull hung in the center. "Jewelry. Yes. Your shells and gems are glowing" Red sputtered and helplessly gazed at Green. Charmeleon moved closer and the plant type exhaled in relief, said relief became short lived when Oak simply pulled more leaves off Red's back and moved out of Layla's acrid stare. "While I understand the significance of meeting under a full moon...Don't we have a hurdle to comple-"

Cutting Red's blathering off, Absol turned to the front and trotted to Green. "Earlier you said something." He glanced at her. "You mentioned Red could be frightening when angry," a soft smile stretched across her lips, "maybe we won't have to worry about him. I'd be more afraid of myself and you." Oak bristled, his tail flared into a bonfire. "Hmm...You have to keep your temper in check," she admonished. He shook his head and angrily stated that she knew nothing about Red. "Perhaps, but compare yourself with him." Behind them, Red huffed, in between his laborious breathing; he wailed out a song so horribly off key, it could deal damage. "See what I mean, it's us we have to be wary of." The gentle smile on Layla's face unnerved the fire type.

Green glowered at her.

 _You have no idea what Red is capable of._ He inwardly seethed

Stakes and corpses punctuated the horizon. The bridge rattled in a breeze. At night, the purplish fog swirling in the chasm, clawed upwards and orbs of cyan light danced inside hollow carcasses, whirling between rib bones and circling around the heart. Crawling to the very lip of the canyon, the three monsters peered downwards and scrambled back. Beads of sweat dotted their faces and Layla spat blood, the shock of looking into the ghostly fissure caused her to bite her tongue. Nodding to each other, they assumed a single file; sandwiched in the middle, Red grabbed an Oran berry as a good luck charm and with Green leading the way, they stepped on the rickety bridge.

The suspension groaned, however, the thin wooden boards held their weight. On the far platform of land; pale moonlight stuck the earth and painted it a ghastly shade of scarlet. Blood. Oak thought and retched. Swallowing rapidly, he groped forward, ears strained for telltale signs of danger. They inched across the spindly bridge, holding desperately on the supports each time the wind buffeted them. Resolving to check on his friends, Green cracked an eyelid open, instead of seeing Red's face, his eyes met a skull, a rusty hue stained the eye sockets. Soul leaving his body, Charmeleon tipped forward, head and neck falling through the wide bridge boards. The rest of him hung lifelessly. "Green! I think I just scared him to death!" Red yowled and flung the skull of his face. "Wake up, it was a joke…" Ivysaur strapped the limp, drooling Green to his back and lassoed to the other side. Momentarily forgetting about his barely conscious friend, he and Layla craned their necks at the entrance of Bryst's dungeon. Two guillotines, hung with fresh corpses, flanked the colossal gates. Red leaked at the sight of pink, human flesh, the dead eyed stare bored holes into him. Hyperventilating, Red whipped around and fled whilst Layla's screams rung in his ears. "NO!" he screeched. "I am not walking past that thing," he trembled, "Green and I...We were beheaded like that corpse over there!" Ivysaur quivered at the edge of the chasm, vines squeezing tighter around the inert charmeleon burning his back. "Please..." the seed pokemon begged to no one in particular, "I'm tired of this...Please just let me GO!"

And thus he leapt into the chasm with Green firmly secured on his back.

On the land above, Layla petrified, one paw in the air; a part of her insisted she hurtle after them but it was too late. The duo disappeared over the reddish lip of sand and were now well into the bowels of the earth. What lay at the bottom of the fissure? Ice? A river of water? Fire? Around her, dust tumbled in the wind, a stray bone skipped over land and she looked away from the fresh corpses, where did Bryst get those? In an instant, the flesh and pale skin crumbled off the dead, revealing a stained skeleton. An illusion, Layla mused. At the edge of the canyon, a shadow moved, curious, she ran towards the shape and paused when the umbrae peeled off the grainy floor and dove into the fissure.

Falling.

Air rushed past Red as he plummeted, and sheer terror silenced him. On his back, Charmeleon moved, seeking a purchase on the plant type's slippery skin. Lilac mist frothed and the deeper they plunged, the less color leaked out of the surroundings. Loosening his tendrils, Ivysaur wanted to throw his companion to safety alas, sheer rock faces blotted the sky and despair. Involuntarily, Red's vines speared into the rocky cliffs and slowed his descent. He grunted in pain when they snapped and he continued his senseless descent into the depths of Gehenna. Groaning, Green sliced the restraints holding him down and looked above, ripping a scream when a large shadow travelled with them. Breaking in a cold sweat, he searched for a wink of light and found none. The shadow rushed downwards and a black claw extended, Green quivered violently and screwed his eyes shut whilst Red gave up on any prospect of salvation and mindlessly prayed for something to end him. Whispers floated to his ears. Straining, Ivysaur squinted into the gloom and back at his outstretched limbs, the darkness made it indistinguishable. With a jolt, he realized his foreleg was burning. A tiny spark of sable fire licked across his skin and grew before his eyes. He remembered the hydreigon, soon, the fire will engulf his whole body and he will cease to exist.

Astoundingly, he did not feel frightened. Only a profound sense of loss.

The trailing shadow eventually caught them in a tangle of black. A piece of the matter wedged between the two and pried them apart. Howling, Red batted the umbrae aside; nothing in this unholy land of Gehenna will take that dragon kid away from him. "How precious." The entire environment resonated silkily and Oak frothed at the mouth, if another ghost surprised him, he will let go of his dignity and leak. The web of black matter closed around them and shot upwards. "You dare defy the lord of the Underworld?" The voice boomed. "You are not allowed to forget the sins you committed and you shall pay the price, unwittingly or not. Go and let us reap your blood, sweat and tears." The two monsters popped out of the canyon. Green and Red sailed across the dungeon gates and landed somewhere in the confusing tangles of metallic rods and wooden beams. Layla quickly bowed to the shadow and streaked off in search of her companions. She careered past implements of torture and sidestepped a strip of spikes poking from under the earth. Chains littered the ground, some wrapped around bones long stripped of flesh. Bounding over a heap of charred logs, she spied the fire and grass types lying inert on the ground. Landing soundlessly in the clearing, she padded towards Red and smacked him awake.

"What. Were. You. THINKING?" Layla hollered. "More importantly, are you alright?" she questioned, Red scrambled to his paws and stared at her, eyes wide and shining. Peeved at his uncharacteristic behavior, Absol examined his body for visible contusions or cuts. "There seems to be nothing wrong with you, physically speaking." Sniffling, Ivysaur buried himself into her flank, muttering a slew of apologies and thanking her for looking after them. On the dusty earth, Green stirred and locating a sniveling Red, he aggressively marched closer and raised an ignited fist. The flame puffed out and instead, he delicately laid his sizzling claw on top of Ivysaur's bulb. "...I hate to break the bonding moment we are having..." Layla shuddered. "But you better give me space or I'll crush your bones." None of them moved and gradually, she pushed them away. "Come on, once we finish this trial, we can take a break. Dungeon exploring as a team sounds nice, or we could do whatever takes your fancy. Her voice grew small. "I'm sorry for pushing you two so hard," she apologized.

Red sniffed and beamed. "It's okay," he slurred and laughed shakily. "I'm sorry for getting snot all over your coat though." Absol twitched, teeth bared in disgust. "So you promise that after we finish this dungeon, the three of us can have a holiday?" Layla reluctantly nodded. "Sparks! You are awesome." Ivysaur exuberantly yelled and charged forward. "Now where is the trial marker poem? Let's get this over and done with."

A cluster of crumbling tombstones lay in front of the dungeon's entrance, rising up like a row of jagged teeth. Weaving between the monoliths, the trio cautiously picked their way across a carpet of bleached bones. The great door swung silently open and stopped halfway through. A sliver of warm light spilled from within and they apprehensively walked into the first chamber. The room unfolded before them, the floor was a platform of shattered rock and between the fissures, lava, bright orange and pleasantly warm, oozed and steamed. Amazed, the three beasts ogled at the magma ribboning granite walls. Sheets of branded metal were hammered to sections of the walls and after hopping over an expanse of lava, Green stood on his tip toes, reading the etched words. Whispering them under his breath, he scampered to the next board and the rest followed suit. A wave of blistering wind gusted into the vestibule and liquid fire bubbled in an ominous greeting.

Throbbing veins, pulsing blood

The urge to rage surges like a flood

Kill, maim destroy what you want

Purgatory will grant your wishes

Searing flesh, abolishing all blemishes

Benumbing your mind. Numb

Numb

Numb.

As Green recited the words aloud, the foyer acted up, splashes of lava dislodged from the ceiling, falling on the ground with great, hissing splats. The veins of magma buried within the walls flowed faster. Oak finished reading and simultaneously, the dungeon quieted. The clement warmth morphed into a punishing heat; Red gasped for air and jittered on the stove-esque surface of the slab he stood on. Unable to take the choking heat, Ivysaur dug into his satchel and emptied two bottles of water on his body, the water gushed steam, a third bottle disappeared down Red's greedy gullet and he tossed the plastic container away. Teeth clenched, Green watched the discarded bottle melt; incensed, he turned to his friend, pointed to the film of plastic and demanded why Red threw the container away. Red shrugged nonchalantly and reached for another bottle. Tail flaring, Charmeleon dragged his claws across the walls and the tips sparked, Red neatly sidestepped and lashed the fire type across his face. Layla's eyebrows rose at their behavior. Green closed flame cloaked jaws around Red's stubby neck and crunched. Verdant blood spilled from the wound and the seed pokemon thrashed in his friend's murderous grip. The duo did not scream obscenities; they simply tried to kill each other. Roaring, Layla swatted Green to the side and he splashed into a shallow rivulet of lava. Gingerly, she nudged the bleeding Ivysaur as he hauled to his feet.

A vine speared into her eye.

Lips twisted into a feral grin, Red's crimson irises blazed passionately and he hammered the turgid tendril deeper into Layla's skull. Shock diluted the pain and she stumbled backwards.

"So," he huskily whispered as Oak climbed out of the fluid fire, "do you want to go down first?"

* * *

 **A/N:** I apologize for the delay people, I'm suffering from the mother of all headaches...hmm, tend to get those a lot. It must be due to the lack of dark chocolate in my system. Thanks for being patient and reading and reviewing and hot cakes to you all. At Jack54311: The tried to confiscate it but they thought the hypno provides mental stability (it does...since it erases his memories). I wanted to make him a sorry character but yeah, the overall effect kinda ended up as pathetic.

Oh yes, people, check out the new story I wrote, it's called The Empyrean Will and has been requested and co-edited by the awesome Bighead98


	16. The best fighter is never angry

**The best fighter is never angry**

Inside an oak paneled room, a painting of a thick mustached generalissimo glared balefully at twelve individuals. Each one of the officials rested in high backed chairs and stared mindlessly at a sheaf of papers lying on the marble table. At the head of the table a man paced, spit shined combat boots thudding on the carpeted floor like a tribal war drum, a dozen military medals flashed on his jacket and he paused in his heated pacing to slick back strands of ash blonde hair. Colonel Bryst was not a patient man by anyone's standards and behind his hulking figure, a screen winked merrily, it bore bad news. The commanding officer's beady eyes searched the room for a weakness. At the table, the men posed like statues and Bryst's eyes paused at each of their faces, searching for a chink in their flawless armor. One of them always cracked. The stuffy atmosphere in the room tightened, the windows frosted with steam. Shutting his eyes, he eased into a chair, a magnificent throne of wrought iron and polished wood, his bullish neck bore bulged veins and forming his sinewy hands into a fist, Bryst pounded the table and the surface splintered into spider web cracks. The soldier in the eighth seat squeaked in fear.

Predator zoomed on prey.

"Tell me, what is the meaning of war?" the colonel demanded and the soldier buckled. "It seems words have failed you," Bryst quietly stated and leaned back into his chair. "Our precious region, Kalos, is currently locked in a war and we do not have time for petty squabbles or the pitiful donations trickling from other regions." His lips twisted into a snarl when the double doors rattled. Clubbing his fist against the table once more, he barked, "I am in the middle of a meeting here! What do you want? If it is not urgent, save it for later." The insistent rattling died and Bryst breathed steam. Eyes rolling in sockets, he pinned them on the quivering man. "Now where was I?" The occupants in the room swallowed nervously, pearls of blood leaked from the shallow wounds on the colonel's fist and dripped on the cracks. "Oh yes," the brutish individual's irises narrowed, "tell me commander, what is the meaning of war?" he echoed.

Double height doors sailed open Bryst marched through the entrance without sparing the butler a glance. The afternoon sun shone blindingly and the morning's briefing hung like a lead weight on his mind. Disorientated by the surroundings, he paused, cinnabar gaze sweeping through the mansion's foyer and falling on a gigantic painting of Xerneas. The deity monster's antlers shone with ephemeral light and clasping scarred hands together, he closed his eyes and prayed. For the safety of Kalos' future, he mumbled with bated breath and the tension melted from his body. And for the day when all the people and children would stop cowering in the shadows of war and look forward to a brand new life. Temper flaring at a sound behind him; he whipped around, lashing at the person standing in his shadow. Who dared to interrupt his invocations? Veins bulging, his palm connected with a soft cheek and his wife's head snapped back, thick mane of red hair tossing to the air. She stumbled and fell at the base of a grooved marble pillar and a shocked gasp coming from the center of the foyer revealed his children, clapping hands over their mouths and creeping upstairs with tears pooling in their eyes. Cursing himself, Bryst stepped towards his wife and offered a hand. She trembled the slightest bit, fixed a smile on her radiant face and accepted the offer. He hauled her up and clasped her to his broad chest.

"I apologize for losing control," he breathed near her ear and she nodded. "I promise not to do it again," he vowed.

For the hundredth time.

The family sat at a table in the terrace and shared a hearty lunch. Hair disheveled and earlier experiences forgotten, Bryst listened to his children's babblings with an amiable smile. He peeled off his uniform and laughed uncontrollably at his daughter's jokes. A breeze blew across the garden, bearing tinges of salt and ocean spray. A whiny bark issued from behind a pair of glass doors and hearing the scrabbling, his willowy wife excused herself. Bryst watched her go; eyes melting and from the side, his son snickered and poked him. Coughing in a fist to regain some form of decorum, he frowned when a beautiful ninetails bounded inside the terrace. The creature shook its tails haughtily and prowled around the table, searching for food. When it found none, the fox settled in his wife's lap and she giggled when Bryst sulked.

Long fingers stroked the fire fox and after leering at the colonel, Ninetails reared to its majestic glory and licked the wife on her cheek. She laughed and the dainty chortles infected the children; the regal pokemon yawned and settled on the wife's lap, eyelids closing over ruby irises.

"Don't tell me you are jealous of him," his wife teased in her pearlescent voice and her fingers dug into luxurious fur. "He loves you as much as he loves me." She cooed to the white fox and the pokemon cracked an eyelid open, grinning smugly at the colonel.

More laughter rang in the garden; jubilant sounds weaved between mahogany trees. Leaves twirled to the ground. Nature danced in the air, non-caring of the war and the lives it took.

Non-caring of the humans and their desires.

One month later, there was no progress with the war. More people died. Colonel Bryst pored over notes and read epitaphs of the dead. Photos of the deceased passed through his fingers and he pointedly visited the family of the departed and offered condolences in person. Armed with a team of dedicated soldiers, he devised strategies and counterattacks, if Kalos could be freed from Ransei's control, they could operate as an independent region. Long nights were wasted in meeting rooms, whilst he paced and dictated plans to the scribe. With every skirmish fought, Kalos gained a little bit of freedom, but lost more than a handful of soldiers. The belief in Xerneas swelled proportionately to the fear of Yveltal. People blamed the destruction deity for their sufferings. Bryst thought otherwise, he fully believed the monster awakened because people fought meaningless wars. The table in the meeting room completely shattered at the head and a new, fragile glass table assumed its place. Each time he wanted to pound his fist on it, a newly appointed, snotty secretary reminded the colonel to mind his temper and manners. Bulged veins created a network on his forehead and neck and Bryst often stampeded out of the meeting room with steam rising from his head.

 _Capture Yveltal,_ the General commanded. Bryst refused a direct order from the upper echelons of the army and they stared in wide eyed shock at his disobedience. "We cannot tamper with the mythical creatures." The colonel clobbered his fist on the wall and his meta tarsals cracked. He bore the pain with gritted teeth. "We absolutely cannot drag the legendary creatures into this, General!" Bryst's voice thundered, rattling the teeth in skulls. "Please excuse me." He cradled his throbbing fist to his chest. A higher ranking member questioned where he went and Bryst stole a glance at his gold plated watch. "I am leaving to have lunch with my family," the colonel replied and indignant gasps rippled around the table, the brigadier general lifted a penciled eyebrow in disbelief. "I understand we are in the middle of war, but I made a commitment to my family and I intend to uphold it. Please excuse me."

His anger washed away when the jeep squealed to a halt at the entrance of the mansion. Bryst climbed out of the passenger seat and a photograph floated to the ground. Another dead, nameless soldier, he contemplated and tucked the image away in his jacket pocket. Massaging his hand, he thanked the young driver and stiffly marched to the doors. As if on cue, the double height doors flew open and he desperately glided through, searching for his family to comfort him. The foyer remained quiet, save for the butler. Uttering a quick prayer to Xerneas, he climbed the sprawling staircase and anger bubbled in his chest; why didn't his children come giggling down the stairs? And where was his wife?

Bryst found her in their bedroom, leaning against the tessellated base of a marble plinth. Ninetails furiously licked her cheek and prodded her with blood stained paws. The majestic creature whined pathetically and circled the inert woman. The colonel's world faded into shades of black and white. His hand emitted a painful throb. Near the body, a pool of congealed blood diffused the stench of iron in the air. Clamping a hand to his mouth, Bryst tore out of the room. Lungs heaving, he floundered across the mansion and with sweat slicked hands, wrenched his children's doors open. His daughter lay on the carpeted floor, tatters of her gossamer gown stuck on dried blood whilst his son spread a few meters away from her. His eyes wide open.

Blue as the cloudless sky, Bryst contemplated and closed the boy's eyes. Pulling the stiff child from the floor, he cradled his offspring and wept. Gathering all of his dead family members in one room, he sought for the butler but, the servant was nowhere to be seen.

The man spent the night crying. Surrounded by corpses which slowly grew cold and fetid. He buried his face in Ninetails' warm fur and cried.

When morning came, the fox pokemon disappeared.

By mid-afternoon, Bryst sat in a meeting whilst his mind galloped over yesterday's events. Talks swooped over his head. Meaningless babble. The world refused to go back to color and the reek of iron hung under his nose. Everyone smelt of it. Pinprick eyes pinned the officers caustically before the heat in his glower melted.

"Congratulations Colonel Bryst," the General praised warmly, the hefty man's snow white beard shook as he spoke, "you have been promoted to the rank of Lieutenant General." No one widened their eyes in surprise save for the one addressed. Two ranks? Bryst wondered what he did to achieve this. "Yes, don't be so shocked, we," the general shared a sympathetic glance with the other officers, "heard about your plight and we decided this is the best way we could offer our condolences." The General smiled warmly. A mouthful of gleaming teeth. "You have a week off; please accept this rank and we are looking forward to your services." Bryst wearily eased up from the chair and bowed humbly.

Nine people, he realized. Nine faces grinned at him with mock sympathy pouring from their eyes. "Thank you for the promotion General." Bryst grudgingly accepted the position and clutched his head, a network of vines crawled across his forehead. "I shall look forward to working with you, one week from now."

 _If you are still alive by then,_ the newly appointed Lieutenant General inwardly added and pivoted towards the door.

The army dubbed the anonymous murderer: The nine tailed demon.

Nine ranked officers died in extremely gruesome ways. The perpetrator carried out the killings consecutively, over a period of nine days and the Second Lieutenant perished first; stabbed deeply in the heart with a ninetails fang.. The corpse was forced to the side and the chalky outline of a fluffy tail erupted from the dead man's posterior. Whilst the army dealt with another crisis from Ransei, Bryst finally dispatched himself to the cave where Yveltal was rumored to roam. No one heard of him since then. The previous Lieutenant General also met a gruesome end, the elderly man was clobbered with an oriental vase and hammered to the floor; he eventually died from blood loss. Eight tails sprouted from his behind. Visiting the murder sight, the General swallowed thickly, he preferred not to think about the link tying them together. The burly man skirted around his dead comrade and paused, a photograph fluttered from beneath the former officer's head. Carefully, he snatched it up before any of the crime scene investigators could claim it. Striding to a broken window, he discreetly viewed the image via candlelight and sighed. Bryst and his family cheerfully waved from the faded sepia.

"Were you expecting me, General?" It was a cloudy night when a window to the upper floor shattered. A break in cloud cover allowed a single moon beam to slant from the heavens and strike the figure standing stormily on the bushy rug spread on the study room floor.

"You have lost weight, Bryst," the General responded pensively, "have you captured Yveltal yet?"

"Yes." The General inhaled sharply when Bryst's silky tones brushed over his ear. "I believe it has caused some destruction in the army, no?" Bryst murmured and tossed a box of matches in his gloved palm. "Tell me, how did it feel when you murdered my family?" he asked and the wooden floorboards creaked as he rotated around the General. "Tell me sir, why do people murder? I sent eight people to Giratina's underworld and yet, no joy springs from within. I only feel more enraged, more angry, MORE WRONGED!" Bryst shattered a ceramic vase with his bare fists and panted. "Tell me, how did it feel when you murdered my family?" he repeated. "I want to know before I silence you forever."

"It...Was a tragic mistake." The commanding officer juggled words in his head, trying the best combination to stifle the wrath brimming from his underling's body. "I sent an order to secure your family-"

"LIES!" Bryst shrieked, hooking his fingers underneath the table, he overturned it. A glass ornament shattered into jagged fragments and papers tumbled to the floor, Bryst fell on them, tearing documents to shreds and tossing them over the General like confetti. "Lies," he mumbled and uncapped a large canteen strapped to his leg. Liquid paraffin rained on the General's head and alarmed, he shot up from his armchair and drew a pistol. In an instant, a match flared to life and Bryst set the man on fire. He watched from a distance, the anger in his chest swirled like the vortex of fire dancing in front of him. Grabbing a basin of water, he doused his superior and the man crumpled to the floor in shock. "I am still waiting for an answer," Bryst hissed and grabbed the smoldering jacket collar; the steaming cloth seared his palm. "Tell me." The Lieutenant General shook the dead man. "TELL ME!" he screamed and emptied the rest of the kerosene over the corpse and himself.

Under the cover of a cloudy sky, a roaring inferno consumed an atavistic mansion. The next morning, sirens pierced the stillness and investigators found two men in the ruins. One, mere charred bones, lay in the study and the other by the entrance. A lone ninetails pulled the second corpse out of the crumbling building; it towed the blackened husk before it too, collapsed from breathing smoke and toxic fumes.

* * *

Midnight

Gehenna

Dungeon of Wrath

Green once said:

" _When Red focuses on a goal, he will cut off a limb to achieve it."_ Layla did not know if she should take the quote literally because several slices of Ivysaur's tendrils whipped past her. She hurtled mindlessly, chased by the fire and grass duo. Behind her, the duo muttered to each other and nodded, without further prompting, Charmeleon dove into the fiery pond whilst Ivysaur glared murder. A low growl erupted from a giant boulder and hackles rising Layla whisked around to face the threat. An arcanine tore past her and sprang for Charmeleon. Barreling out of melted rock, Oak collided with arcanine head on and the beast slammed backwards. A second arcanine joined the feud and Green whirled around, blade claws lacerating the opponent to shreds. Layla wondered if he needed help. Puffs of smoke enveloped him and on the opposite side of the cavern, Red yelled impatiently. A thin tendril tentatively soared over the magma filled fissure and looped around Green's horn. Ivysaur screamed a war cry and pulled himself forward.

Wrath flared in the dragonoid's eyes as he jerked back, he fixed smoldering eyes on Layla's prim form.

The seed monster landed on the platform and the two arcanines rounded on him. A flurry of a thousand, poison laced petals soared out of Red's bulb, withering rock and tearing flesh. The arcanine batted the leaves but the unrelenting attack forced them to flee. Twin jets of lurid light finished them into puffs of smoke and stripped petals fell to the floor. Dripping with lava, Green climbed the short cliff and glared at Red, the two sized each other and Layla crouched away from their line of sight, holding her breath when her paw bumped a pebble and it skittered across the floor. The two monsters broke away and surrounded her, a vindictive grin unfurled on Ivysaur's maw. Absol froze, the sneering smile looked wrong on him.

That skew smirk on his face did not belong there.

Diving to the side when Green belted a flame thrower, she squeezed between two boulders and winced when a droplet of fire gnawed on her skin. Ignoring the searing pain, she careered onwards; blindly following the light at the end of the tunnel. Her paws sizzled as she ran and contact with the ground proved damning; whilst Layla blurred through enemies, the hounding duo paused each time a horde of ghosts spewed from the fire. A darmanitan statue glowed to life and its fist rocketed with uncharacteristic speed, ploughing into her side. Gasping, Absol soared through the air, screwing her eyes shut when a geyser of fire engulfed her. Screaming and writhing in pain, she landed doggedly on another platform. Her fur clumped with blood and coagulated lava. Her vision bloomed into a cataract white.

Red growled when Layla scrambled tiredly to her feet, he had a bone to pick with her, unfortunately, other distractions cropped in his field of vision. A snarling arcanine and a couple of darmanitan. The statues pulsed to life, stone forms melting to reveal vermillion skin. Ivysaur's tendrils thrashed angrily and lashed at the adversaries. The monsters harmlessly jumped aside and he blinked stupidly. How dare they move out of the way! Catering the earth with a barrage of energy balls, Red sucked in light, his bud glowed and with a crooked grin, he unleashed an imitation of frenzy plant. Somewhere to his left, Green yelped indignantly. The earth rumbled and thousands of vines and shoots broke the surface, skewering through inert darmanitan statues. The zen pokemon crumbled into off white dust whilst the arcanine cut a swath with their blazing fire. Great plumes of orange red reduced the plants into charcoal dust. However, more tendrils took their place, snaring the creatures and sapping their life energy. The thrashing canines eventually stilled, faces dry and sunken. Ivysaur watched his forest grow with sadistic pleasure; a stray shoot crawled after Green who irritably set it on fire.

Crimson met viridian. Shrubs crept over the dragon kid and Oak snorted. Leaves wilted. Seething, he screeched at Red to stop attacking. The Ivysaur's scowl liquefied, for a moment, his visage morphed into acute terror. Terror melted into fury. Snarling, he speared Green in the shoulder and the fire type shrugged the attack off. Hurling insults, the duo descended on each other. Claws tore a pink bulb open. A sludge of mauve acid dripped over a flaming tail. A bite on Red's forelimb tore a chunk of meat and Green spat the chlorophyll laced appendage out of his mouth. Hissing, Ivysaur looped a coil of tendrils around Oak's throat and strangled him. Slicing the bindings, Green gleefully subjected his friend to a series of fire cloaked beatings and kicked him off the platform. Pouting confusedly, the seed pokemon fell in the lava pit below.

Green stared at his claws, tinged emerald by Red's blood. Over the platform's lip, Red, wheezing and rib fractured, desperately clung to the cliff face. Black spots danced in his vision and the blistering heat dehydrated him. Scorching steam forced down this throat, searing his insides. Red exhaled painfully, as a lava bubble burst and flecked his back with fire. A dizzying pain ricocheted through his body, leaving him light headed and confused. Far above him, Charmeleon's head appeared and Ivysaur gasped, broken and relieved. Green screamed but the angry sizzles of the fire pool, drowned his words.

Oak cradled a carcass in his arms. Half of Red melted in the pond of magma and left behind a bleached skeleton. Charmeleon simply stared. Nothing prickled his eyes. Lifting his chin and ignoring the growing void in his chest, he stumbled forward, searching for Layla. She will sort this out, he knew. Eyes peeled for a flash of white fur, Oak scampered through the maze of platforms. Tributaries of lava flowed to a common center and eagerly, he followed it. The bones and bits of Red hung like lead in Green's skinny forearms and more often than not, he wished to lay them on the ground. Fear paralyzed him. Fear of seeing what he did not want to see. Halting at a delta, he paused to drink in his surroundings. Rivers of lava splashed around a triangular island of rock. Like waves in the sea. Rivulets snaked into cracked straits, creating glowing runes and archaic symbols. Gulping in a lungful of air, Oak forcibly gazed down into his arms. Still a bleached, half skeleton. A choked sob strangled out of his throat and he peered at his best friend again.

 _See what you did._ Green admonished himself.

He petrified.

A thin ribbon of tendons and muscles covered the bones. Red's uninjured eye twitched in his skull. The seed-shaped heart, protected by a couple of fractured bones, throbbed faintly. Grasping the regenerating Ivysaur securely over his head, Green leapt off the delta and swam through a large river of fire. Hopping on dry land, he whisked past a row of darmanitan statues, and roared a flamethrower when a molting creature sprung from the shadows. Growling threats when the sorry excuse of an enemy refused to move, Oak suddenly paused when Layla rasped, "Is that Red in your arms?" She stank like sulphur and sank to the earth. "You...Killed Red?" she asked, amber eyes glazing with an expression Green did not know she could express. Distilled wrath flared in his chest, replacing the void. He kill Red?

"We were fighting a couple of Bryst's lackeys when...We turned on each other. I don't know what's wrong with me...With him...I pushed him into a pool of fire and by the time I came to my senses I-" Green yammered mindlessly, a ball lodged in his throat, "-he was half submerged in lava..." Oak trembled and refused to put Red on the floor.

Scraping a tongue over putrefying wounds, Layla grimaced at the taste of her blood; she combed her matted strands into a respectable puff of fur whilst Green stood statue still. "Put Red down," she ordered and he glared, horror stricken. "Plants need earth, sunlight and water to grow. Put him down," she repeated and tugged a bottle of water out of Oak's sack. "...This is the last bottle, pour this over him and let's wait for a while." Carefully, Charmeleon placed the inert bulb on the floor and drizzled water over Red. "Good, now get some sleep. We are all tired; I think a nap will refresh us." Exhausted by the constant chases and depleting adrenaline, Absol cast a concerned glance at Oak and settled her head on her paws. "Don't attack me while I'm sleeping," she said and shut her eyes.

Waking from a restless sleep, Green paced the stage and entertained himself by skipping rocks over a pool of lava. A particularly loud rumble from his stomach forced him to hunt for food and famished; he tore after an arcanine speeding over rocks and was severely disappointed when it vanished into a puff of smoke. A luxurious pelt hardly made for an adequate lunch. Skulking back, the spared Ivysaur a glance and his stomach back flipped, Red's regeneration crawled to a halt. Layla skirted around the plant type, sniffing the once fragrant ivysaur. Gritting his teeth, Oak quelled the urge to lash out at her. Clenching his claws into fists, he questioned Layla on the proceedings and she reclined on her hunches.

"Seems like Red's regeneration stopped, I don't think he will heal any further," she stated blandly.

Yowling; Oak hurtled towards her, jaw ignited with fire. Layla stepped aside and cuffed him into the dust. Head colliding with solid rock, Green nimbly rolled over and sprang up. "What can I do?" he tersely demanded and glared. "Spit it out! What should I do to get him back to normal?"

Giving her ruffled fur a quick lick, Absol related, "First of all, you two must realize that these Trials are not a game, this is not about saving each other from trouble. It's about learning from experience." She relentlessly continued, "Red believes you are suffering because of him. I don't care what sort of nonsense you two sank your necks into but please, stop thinking the world revolves around you two. Do you know what he did?" Layla barked and Green wondered how long Layla's rambling will last. "Red jumped off the cliff leading to Bryst's dungeon. He yelled some words about beheading you and decided to take a dive towards nowhere..." Her tone softened. "You can't escape your sins, if it weren't for that black shadow rescuing you from the void. Both of you would've spontaneously combusted."

Her voice cracked and she jerked her head away. Getting up, Layla motioned for Green to follow her.

"...What about Red?" Charmeleon's tail flicked anxiously towards the half carcass. "We can't leave him here; the specters will tear him apart."

"And if we don't get him a revive, he will wither and die." Absol tossed over her shoulder. "Besides, he is a living corpse; I doubt anything will want to go close to him."

The duo stumbled on a well-trodden path illuminated by gold and rusty red spirals on the floor. They sidled past a perilous bridge of rock hanging over a dark chasm and entered a cave. Slobbering at the piles of shiny apples and gummis laid on a carpet, Green unwittingly reached for one and crammed it in his mouth. Keckleon eyed him deplorably and attended to Layla, she asked for a handful of revives and still frowning, the shop keeper tipped the star shaped crystals into a cloth bag. Nodding, Absol resolutely piled cookies, gummis and doughnuts into another bag and grinned assuredly at the suspicious Keckleon. Fire gems littered the cave and diffused a humid glow. Layla picked orbs and gems and placed them in her bulging satchel; she selected ceramic bottles, jars of purple fire and dropped them into her bag. Elated at his companion's generosity, Green gleefully hoarded golden apples and bottles of water. Keckleon clutched his staff and in a clipped voice, demanded they pay for his wares. Bowing respectfully, Layla searched through her sack, nodded to Green and streaked out. Mouth hanging open, Oak quickly picked the items he dropped, keeping one viridian eye on the glowering shop keeper, he grabbed an extra golden apple and tore out of the cave.

"We stole from him!" Charmeleon panted and chomped on a perfectly shined apple. "Isn't stealing a crime?" He leapt over a projecting rock and clumsily hobbled back for a fallen cookie.

Layla shadow sneaked to safety. "Do you have any money then?" she questioned. "We had no choice but to steal; all my belongings turned to charcoal. And besides...Now is not the time to be debating about morals." Ears twitching dismissively, she led the way back to Red.

Dawn

Plains of fire

Dungeon of Wrath

A troop of arcanine and darmanitan guarded the half skeleton Red. His condition did not improve; rather, several crimson petals dusted the floor. Peering between a rock and a hard place, Green and Layla stared at the clearing and simultaneously sighed. Placing her bag on the floor, Absol pulled out the clothes pouch containing the revives and glared at Charmeleon to stay put. She wriggled out of the hiding place and fearlessly approached the ghosts.

All attention swiveled to her. A dark orb gathered at her feet. Blinking to life, a team of darmanitan and arcanine careered towards her, claws and teeth flashing in firelight. The sphere of sable energy under Layla's paws burst outwards, butchering and leaving nothing more than dust. Knees wobbling from fatigue, Layla padded to the carcass and paused. Her amber eyes roved over the bubbling ivysaur and she gently pressed her forehead against his. Red infuriated her, his mannerisms tugged at her memory, his smile shone like the sun, blinding and dragging her to the light. She longed to know what made him tick, but was afraid to ask. What color hair did he have? How did he look? How was Green's appearance? According to Red, the latter was rather handsome.

 _How did she look?_

Swallowing the lump in her throat, she forcibly pried Red's jaw open and tipped a yellow crystal in his mouth. Moving back, she braced for impact. Without warning, Green popped out of the sheltered space and Absol whipped around to face him, potent anger swirling in her eyes. Before them, Ivysaur's carcass glowed. Sinking her teeth into his scruff and gagging at the taste of habanero and cinnamon, Layla threw her body over Green and pinned him down whilst he whimpered angrily. A surge of verdant light exploded and she recoiled. Another throb of emerald sparks rocketed outwards, seeds speared into cliffs and burst into plants. The bulb on Red's back regained its pink hue and gurgled. Vines twisted the skeleton back into shape. Flesh weaved over the bones and the top dried into a thin, pockmarked skin. Ivysaur moaned weakly and splayed to the floor. He exhaled; his bulb opened and a billow of yellow and mauve spores clouded the area.

Green hurled Layla off his person and shot up. His body went from cold to hot. From nervous dread to euphoria. Red lazily twirled a vine in greeting and promptly shut his eyes. Panic blooming in his chest, Charmeleon grabbed the seed monster. Red was real.

Real and alive.

"You're hurting me," Red slurred. "What happened? All I remember was falling to my death."

Vividly colored flowers and lush plants covered the platform, alas, the punishing heat and hostile conditions wilted the vegetation and the space resumed its arid state. "You fell into a pool of lava and half of you melted. Green dug you up and came crying to me to save you," Layla drawled and licked her ichorous wounds.

"You look terrible," Ivysaur said, words muffling when Oak crammed an apple in his mouth.

"Thank you for stating the obvious." Absol snarked. "Want to take a celebratory picture?"

Red ducked when Charmeleon propelled a gummi into his face. Feeling nauseous, Ivysaur insisted, "Let me heal you...Both of you." He pointed to the scars and leaking injuries on their hides. Layla twitched, she liked him better unconscious.

"No." She bristled. "Save your energy for later, we have a dungeon master to roast."

* * *

The rivers of fire led the trial goers deeper into the dungeon. Red and Green trailed far behind Absol, who bounded ahead of them. The caverns grew bigger, humungous spaces bordered by sheer rock. Liquid fire spiraled between the cracked monoliths and created glowing runes. The trio stepped into tunnel covered in fetid damp. A stream of black fire bubbled ominously and released toxic gas. The over powering stench of rot forced tears down their cheeks. Purple mist wafted into the tunnel and Red fired a solar beam to momentarily clear the mist. Lagging behind, Layla scanned the surroundings, golden eyes flickering suspiciously. Ragged breaths echoing against rocks, Green investigated an ominous ripple in the river of sable fire whilst Red squeaked. Carefully, Charmeleon dipped a claw in the ebony sludge. A heliotrope orb swam beneath the greyish surface and he shrunk against the wall. Not daring to breath. Moments later, a sableye erupted out of the black fire and sprayed him with muck.

Climbing upwards, Charmeleon desperately washed the liquid fire off himself. His throat closed. Kicking, he gasped for air and clawed his neck. Batting him to safety, Layla clawed the sableye, drawing scars and sending it back to the stream. A chandelure used the falling ghost as a spring board and launched into the air. A lurid pillar of light shattered the lamp pokemon's fragile body and the lilac flame burst outwards, bathing the surroundings in a sickly light. Ghostly shadows capered on the floor and a strangled hiss escaped from Green's frothing jaws. A cloud of healing dust did nothing to mitigate his erratic jerks and Ivysaur ransacked his bag.

Forcing a berry concoction down the heaving dragon's throat, Red turned to Layla and frantically asked what was wrong with Green. "He is cursed..." Absol reluctantly replied "Those black fires…I thought it was only an urban legend."

"Legend?" Red blubbered. "Clearly it's not a legend! And what's this crap about curses?"

Layla sighed defeatedly. "The day you read about the trial masters, is the day I am going to die," she sarcastically answered. "The dungeon master is a ninetails." Green calmed and nibbled on a gummi, his face twitching periodically. "And they have a myth surrounding their tails..." Absol picked Green up by the scruff and he curled, clutching his tail like a lifeline.

"Yeah, I've read about Bryst, basically, the books stated he ruthlessly murdered nine people, who incidentally killed his family in cold blood, and thereafter gained nine curses from the people he killed." Red slowly tailed Layla, expression solemn. "The dungeon master is the embodiment of Wrath and his curses signify the methods he used to kill his victims, anyone who touches his tails are doomed to live their remaining life in suffering." Ivysaur added, "If I remember correctly, he strangled one of them. Looks like Green is suffering from it."

Surprised, Absol nodded. "That black fire inflicts curses; maybe he dipped his tail in the tributaries?" she shrugged and paused to let Green back on the ground.

Silently, the three kept to a single file and refrained from speaking. The passages of fire twisted and turned, it climbed over ridges and fell in great sheets into another pool. Sable fire lightened and morphed back to cinnabar flames. Alighting at a jutting outcrop of rock, Red sharply inhaled when all the channels poured into the throne-esque room below. A gigantic slab of shattered, circular rock bore a cream figure sitting silently on a raised dais. Red's bulb tingled when he noticed the trial master. Bryst. The fire fox waved its tails teasingly and sneered at them. Growling, Layla blitzed off the platform with a war cry and madness gallivanting in her irises.

Mid-morning

Bryst's Trial

Throne room

Darkrai's ominous threat hung on Bryst's mind and he wondered why the nightmare offshoot helped the detestable wigglytuff. Gehenna was about pain and strife and the fox prided on having the dungeon with the second highest kill count. Curses. Bryst snorted and rolled a fire gem in his paw, despite his ascension as a feared dungeon master, he could not wash his mind free of memories. Darkrai loved to visit in the depths of the night and spin horrendous dreams. Wiping stubborn, stray tears seeping from tightly shut lids, Bryst straightened on sensing a presence. Three individuals. Dispiritedly glaring at the mismatched trio, the dungeon master rose. Atop the platform, an absol shrieked. Wrath. Ninetails purred delightedly, the anger of others lent him strength. Opening his jaws, he belted a flamethrower and astonishingly, the dark beast negated his attack with a shadow ball and landed on the throne.

The rocky slab steamed and lava oozed into its cracks. Layla twisted, careful not to get her paws and fur singed. Snarling, she bared stained teeth and lunged. Bryst whipped his tail threateningly and sidestepped. Pivoting, she fired a barrage of shadow balls and they stitched impact craters on the platform's surface. Lowering her horn, Layla torpedoed, her night slash cut a neat line of cream fur off Ninetails' side and the dungeon master calmly watched his fur rain on the floor. The strands sunk into lava. Steaming. A network of vines distended on the side of his neck and climbed upwards. His crimson irises flared. One by one, his tails erupted with a bright orange flame and he wove them in the air. Momentarily hypnotized by the fire tipped tails, Absol retreated backwards and observed hawkishly.

A loud thump shattered her concentration. Magma and silvers of rock spattered the air. Green flopped feebly to the ground, skinny forearms shaking from exertion as he lifted up from the floor. A dribble of blood dripped down his face. Charmeleon abruptly turned, barely escaping a bundle of vines as it lashed on Bryst's throne.

Red and Green loured at each other. Expressions contorted in fury. Spitting threats, Ivysaur torpedoed on stage and spat a seed bomb. Vividly toned, poisonous flowers bloomed on the circlet of rock and toxin laced sweet scent choked the air. Bryst tore a vine and charred a miniature forest rooting beneath his paws. Blind to the bigger threat quietly leering at them, the two monsters faced each other, their forms framed by decaying plants. Seized by hysteria, Absol quelled the overwhelming pain throbbing through her horn and screamed at them to stop their infighting. Red faced her, face split into a maniacal grin. He fired a set of razor leaves and a timely ember from Green saved her hide from turning into ribbons of matted fur. Firing colorful expletives, Ivysaur directed his attention Charmeleon who eagerly scraped his claws against the earth, buffing them into a deadly shine. Away from them, Bryst muttered and thrashed his tails, a euphonious chorus of wails drifted from the dungeon master and a smirk curled over his lips.

Head whipping back and forth, Layla watched her flat mates duel. Blood spurted, the scent of crushed roses and bitter flowers wafted under her nose.

 _Stop this!_

Behind her Bryst giggled and she tasted copper.

"STOP THIS!" Absol howled and broke into a sprint. Bryst's temper flared, he stifled a cry and bloody drops sprung to his eyes. Barking ferociously, he streaked after Layla, determined to keep her from interrupting the wonderful spectacle of two companions murdering each other in a fit of anger. He bowled into her and the world blurred. Damp, sulphurous fur brushed his snout and his teeth met something soft. Flesh. Ninetails thought groggily. Sounds died, the gurgling and trickling of lava faded and the overpowering smell of amber hit him. Bryst pulled his jaw out of Layla's throat her honey tinted irises stared at him in disbelief.

A broken shout shattered the silence.

Petrifying, Green and Red stopped their nonsensical arguing and rotated to see Bryst, nine tails wreathed in flames, descend on Layla and clamp teeth on her neck. She lay still, blinking, twitching and her murky blood swept the stage. "Sparks?" Red warbled, vines flopping uselessly around him. Green scampered past him and rifled through the bag for healing items. "Layla?" Ivysaur prodded, she curled on her side, flank rising and falling rapidly. "Hold on, don't worry, I'll heal you right up." Disinterested in their actions, Bryst licked his lips clean; the cloying taste of musk filled his mouth. Stalking back to his throne, he settled, waiting for the trial goers to challenge him with passion brewed in their eyes. Right now, they were completely hopeless.

Absol refused to heal; her wounds knitted and unraveled in the next second. She swallowed a gulp of the berry concoction Green forced down her throat, but the medicine did not stay down. A rustling movement prompted Oak to keep an eye on the sneering Bryst. Streams of blood gushed out of Layla's jaw and dripped into the rivulets of fire circulating through the dungeon. She stared at Red and her piteous face reflected in his wide, wide eyes. "You irritate me," she rasped and her eyelids slid shut.

Cradling her head with his vines, Red vainly stemmed the gush of blood spewing from her wound. "I know, I'm sorry...I'm sorry. I promise I won't irritate you any longer so," he pleaded, voice on cracking. "Please, just stay with us. When we finish the dungeon, I'll stop singing and waking you up early in the morning. I'll read on all the trial masters and I'll make sure Green doesn't burn the bread...So...Don't go," he begged.

Her vision dimmed, reality and dreams blended together. "No, you misunderstand. You irritate me because for the longest time...I picked on my memory. I don't remember anything of my human life...And you...Just remind me of someone...A person who..." A soft laugh trilled from her chapped lips. "I can't believe I forgot, you remind me of him...Of Abel. Yes, he had eyes like...Yours." Layla stopped speaking, seeing and breathing. Green buried his face in lacerated palms and Red merely gawked, a single tear stopping halfway down his face. Abel? He wondered.

 _Who was Abel?_

A lazy yawn shook them out of their stupor and the duo stupidly blinked at the graciously waiting dungeon master. Green's tail fire blazed and he angrily wiped his face. "Are you two done sniveling?" Bryst taunted, "you have a dungeon to complete, unless, you want to join your friend and quietly give up?" The fire fox's tail thrashed, he liked the emotion swirling in Charmeleon's eyes. Anger, fury, sadness and confusion. It was all there. In contrast, Ivysaur seemed calm. Dulled to the point of incomprehension. He tenderly tended to the corpse, scooping earth with his tendrils and showering it over the inert absol.

"Green, let's get out of here," Red numbly intoned. "I don't feel like completing this dungeon and I'm not dumb enough to let you do it on your own. We can complete it la-"

"No." Charmeleon lowly intervened. "We both know once we exit this dungeon, we will never come back. I'll...take care of Bryst. Red...Please, it's time to take these things seriously…" The vermillion dragon lurched; taking two steps towards the smirking fox, he abruptly crumpled to the floor. Red made no move to help him and the two creatures simply sat on the heated ground and stared upwards, their vision of the sky obscured by a crude dome of magma veined rock.

* * *

 **A/N:** And there you have it people. Much thanks to everyone who read and reviewed, hopefully the story continues to entertain. On a side note, it's so hot! My brain is melting! At Jack54311: Unfortunately, you'll have to RIP another character here. Say goodbye to Absol (or is it really?). As for Mei...

 **Title:** Lao Tzu


	17. All good things end

**All good things end**

A scattering of bones, covered by a dirt streaked pelt, lay on the circular, magma veined dais. Red simply gazed at inky blood mixing into bright orange and curdling away to some obscure part of the dungeon. Green studied the ceiling, claws absentmindedly digging through the super-heated earth and Bryst regarded the duo disinterestedly. Their hopeless visages reflected himself, crushed beyond words. However, there was a fundamental difference between him and these trial goers, he focused on revenge, nursing an unappeasable rage and they simply refused to fill the void with anything. Gritting his teeth, he haughtily resumed his position on an elevated rock, carved with ancient runes and glowing amber fire. Keeping one eye on the trial goers, he rested his head on his paws and let his mind drift elsewhere.

Layla's death felt like a bad dream and Ivysaur sat on a steaming rock with sap evaporating from his paws. If spent any more time inside the Dungeon of Wrath, dehydration will set in and he will die. Die. The word screamed in his mind, so real and yet so surreal. A dream? No, there were far more pleasant things to dream about. Like the fire baking around him, Red suddenly realized: Layla was dead; he and Green would be next if they did not defeat the dungeon master and drag out of this boiling pit of lava. His mind sputtered feeble excuses and moving his vines required monumental effort. The suffocating heat distorted the view and Green's vermillion form whirled like smoke. The latter glared at Bryst who flickered between a beautiful ninetails and another human turned pokemon damned by Giratina. A sizzle prompted Red to look at his popping tendril in morbid fascination, it was like food cooking on a grill.

Loss equated to emptiness, the hollow opening in his chest will never fill the same again. In time, Red considered the ill-tempered Absol as part of a family; she held a place between a special group of friends and he grasped at names, inwardly cursing when faces eluded him. Ivysaur drew a ragged breath and stream fried his insides. Waking him up. He had to do this, for Layla who gave her life to stop their mindless quarrelling. However, his resolve eroded like the featureless statues lining the village square and each step forward, teased the life out of him.

No noise alerted Bryst to the whipping. Soundlessly, a bundle of green vines honed on him; some speared through rocks and he vaulted to safety. The cluster of vines swept sideways, catching the fox on his flank and tossing him airborne. Back flipping, Bryst landed in a pool of lava. A net of withered vines crawled over him and he bit through the bonds cutting against his lips. The more he struggled, the tighter the net drew, leaving stains on his fur. Tail blazing, a starburst of fire charred the net and a vein throbbed in Ninetails' neck; those two should quietly give up and burst into black flames but alas, Lord Giratina had other plans.

An unsightly scar materialized on the trial master's face and he pounced. The cavern shook. Shifting to the side, Red panicked and failed to bite down a hiss of pain. Gulping in a lungful of scorching air, he hollered for his best friend. "Shoot him out of the air!" Red shrilly commanded. "If he lands on me I'll die." The sudden call startled Charmeleon out of his stupor and tail thrashing, he launched into the air, murder flashing in jade eyes. Digging his teeth into Ninetails' fur, the duo torpedoed on the edge of the stone circlet. Bryst grappled desperately, trying and failing to twist himself out of the dragon's vise grip of nails. He landed painfully at the edge, an agonizing throb raced up his spine whilst his upper body mercifully landed in magma. The comforting, sinking sensation brutally ended when Green hooked his talons and dragged Bryst out. Fur and skin ripped from Ninetails' back and when he wriggled free, the dragonoid glowered at him through a mouthful of blood tipped fur.

Oak spat hairs and wiped his mouth, Bryst's blood tasted absolutely foul. Like anger and sin. Patches of fur littered the ground and ugly scars marred its once sleek body. An illusion, Green decided and shuffled back towards Red, whose sweaty visage twisted into unfathomable determination. They could do this, they will do this. Crouching low to the ground, Oak shuddered when Bryst's creamy fur assumed a reddish-brown hue. More scars speckled the fox's body and one eye fell out of its socket.

Disgusting.

"I applaud you two, for forcing me to reveal my true appearance." The fox lowly gurgled and paced. "Anger is a masking emotion; it hides deeper feelings such as hate and contempt. You should let it consume your minds." Bryst licked his lips, a maniacal gleam replaced his regal expression. "Let wrath burn a clean path for you." He viciously clubbed Green out of the way and lunged for Red. The plant type side stepped and a timely spray of thick acid caused Bryst to leap away. Whirling around, Ninetails bounded towards the disorientated dragon but a multitude of creepers stopped his momentum. Vines squeezed his body, pain knotted his muscles. In the periphery of his vision, Green got up, quivering with every movement. A torrent of lava gushed from his jaw and screaming obscenities, the fire type rocketed forward, clawed feet beating the earth. Bryst writhed, a shooting pain punched his throat and his surroundings grew blindingly white and fuzzy.

"Stop!" Red screeched and wrestled his snarling friend away from the trial master. An arc of cinnabar blood stained Bryst's' throat and he collapsed, gasping for air. "That's enough, I don't think he can fight anymore," Ivysaur calmly commented and Green spat, gaze drilling holes into the dungeon master. Strength and adrenalin ebbing, the two creatures sat a few meters away from Bryst and waited for his verdict.

The cream colored fox slunk towards his throne and plopped tiredly on it, the wound on this throat burned and raising his head up, he droned emotionlessly, "Of the Seven Deadly Sins, anger is possibly the most fun. To lick your wounds, to smack your lips over grievances long past, to roll over your tongue the prospect of bitter confrontations still to come, to savor to the last toothsome morsel both the pain you are given and the pain you are giving back-in many ways it is a feast fit for a king. The chief drawback is that what you are wolfing down is yourself. The skeleton at the feast is you." A thin, distorted smile graced the feline's features and his head dropped to his paws. "Warp portal to your left," Bryst rasped, words muffled by fur. "Go, you have done well."

Nervously, the two creatures stepped onto the glowing tile. Their all-pervading dizziness evaporated when they opened their eyes to the tranquil, evening desert. Dazed from fatigue and the stinging ache of loneliness, they sat at the foot of the arch gates, hot winds blasted their backs whilst corpses, decorated with shreds of faded cloth, broke their view of the desert. Red drunk in the unearthly silence and tendrils of welcoming cold clawed him from the front. Out in the middle of nowhere, he allowed his thoughts to retrace the events in the dungeon and with a long suffering sigh, he thought of Layla and hoped she would be happy.

Late Evening

Gehenna

Dessert

The desert stretched endlessly, an unbroken plain of glittering quartz. A pale moon illuminated two unhappy and exhausted monsters trudging through reddish sand. An unspoken agreement of silence passed between them and after sending each other a worried look, Red pushed forward, limbs hanging like foreign weights. The path seemed to shrink, crowded by crumbling guillotines and forcing his eyes not to stray, Ivysaur hobbled. In the distance, he spied the bridge spanning over a chasm of mauve fog and relief weakened his knees.

They stopped at the lip of the gorge.

Wooden slats protested their weight and thick chains rattled ominously. Taking care not to peer downwards, Red crossed the bridge, tendrils wrapping around the flimsy railing when the entire walkway swung. Wails ghosted past his ears and he ignored the cries in favor of keeping his grip in check. After many more agonizing steps, the fire and plant duo eventually plopped on the other side of the chasm and now a fathomless field of grit separated them from Treasure Town and home.

"It...Won't be the same without her." Astonishingly, Green shattered the silence. "I admit," his pinprick eyes trained to the hamlet beyond the darkening horizon. "I admit...She was annoying, bossy, rude and sometimes inconsiderate, but, her presence was reassuring." Charmeleon sat on the ground, bones aching and blood caking his lacerations. Throat parched, the two creatures wearily picked up their bodies and dragged their feet across the desert.

Two pairs of grooves marred the perfect stillness of the caramel sands.

Their journey stretched on and as the night deepened, the environment plunged into a bone chilling cold. Oak wrapped his arms around his body and blew feeble sparks. A thin layer of rime coated Ivysaur's back and he shivered, teeth rattling in his oversized skull. The ground shifted beneath them, paws sunk deeper and deeper in the coffin cold sand and more than once, Red wanted to sink till darkness covered his eyes. But he could not. The biting wind whisked petals away from his back and when the cold reached its peak, the ground rumbled. Unperturbed, Red instinctively planted a delicate vine in the sand. The quaking grew fiercer and several circles of orange appeared on the ground. Simultaneously, fire erupted; vortices of flame gyrated hypnotically and reached for the pitch sky. Out of breath and wincing at the semi-healing cars, Ivysaur rivetedly watched the flames. Fire issued warmth and warmth equated to life. For the first time since they exited the dungeon, he studied his companion, noting all the cuts and festering wounds marring Green's skin, pointing to the geysers of fire, Red softly commented, "It's beautiful, the way it lights up the night." Oak grunted in agreement, forelimbs pressed against the pit of his stomach. "Fire doesn't really scare me, sure it's destructive," Red thought of Bryst, "but it gives warmth." Another silence expanded between them, broken occasionally by the crackling of flames. "Let's go home, I'm tired, I'm hungry and I want to sleep."

* * *

Early morning

Treasure town

Condominium

A drizzle and a loud knock pulled Green from an un-refreshing sleep. Groggily opening his eyes, he briefly cursed Layla for shutting the gate so loudly. Growling inaudibly at the pain hammering his muscles, he snuggled closer to his log. In an instant, the scattered pieces of a bizarre nightmare reformed. Shooting up, Oak listened to the gentle pitter-patter of rain falling outside his circular window, shutting his eyes, he lay back on the bed of charred ash, resolving to get some uninterrupted sleep. The moment his conscious drifted into the realm of dreams, the urgent knocking started again. Throwing the log aside, Green tumbled out of his bed and earned a new bruise. Inhaling sharply, he faltered downstairs. The kitchen remained very quiet and on reaching the front door, the dragon wrenched it open with the intention of frying whomever stood on the other side. Friendly or not.

Wigglytuff swatted the measly ember aside and asked to be let in. Having no energy for a confrontation, Green stepped aside and Wiggly cautiously waddled in, pausing to study the interior of the house. Despite its horrendous, exterior appearance, inside, the rooms were tastefully decorated and clean. The walls did not peel and the tiles were intact, even though it witnessed its fair share of scuffles and the occasional acid spill. Settling at the table, the guild master laid his staff on another stool and fixed a bland gaze at Oak who sat opposite him. "Layla, did not make it did she?" Wiggly enquired breathlessly, his face begging to be told the opposite.

"I'm sorry." Green simply offered. He could not bear the pain marring the guild master's eyes. The dragonoid hunted in the pantry to distract his jittery limbs and mind. Finding a loaf of bread, he sliced it and got a fire going. A carton of milk, half fresh, lay on the counter and he sniffed it, wrinkling his nose, hopefully no one will get ill from drinking it. Pouring the milk into a pan, he brought it to a boil and searched the wooden cupboards for jam or fruit. A packet of cookies along with a jar of berry preserves were hauled down and Oak grabbed the slices, smearing jam and piling them into neat sandwiches. The milk bubbled and he tipped the steaming contents into large, wooden mugs. Wigglytuff sat like a statue, completely still save for the faint movement of his eyes as it followed Green around the kitchen. Dumping an assortment of seeds and dried fruit into a bowl, the dragon placed the entire arrangement on the table and stared.

 _I can finally cook_ , his mind unhelpfully congratulated.

Head hanging low, he assumed his place opposite the guild master and ate, pulping bread, jam and nuts. Reaching for a steaming mug of milk, the washed the lumpy morsel with a large draught. Green succeeded in swallowing but the milk tasted like boiling water and the sandwich like cardboard. Wigglytuff eyed the contents on the table; he missed his jar of tar colored chocolate milk (courtesy of Darkrai) and donuts. Wrapping his pudgy fists around a tankard, he savored the heat. These days, he barely felt alive and the constant nightmares sapped whatever energy he possessed. Staying awake through the long nights did nothing, the moment the entire guild piped down from their raucous laughter and arguments, Wiggly hunched at the foot of his four poster bed and did paperwork. When Rooque rumbled and Melody's velvet snores punctuated the silence, the nightmare legendary seeped inside the room, underneath the minuscule gap of the door and between the non-existent window cracks. And Darkrai tortured him, his single, cyan eye crinkled in delight. "How did she die?" Wigglytuff enquired ruefully and bit into his toast. "I shouldn't be asking this but," he looked away, "she was a reckless one, always doing what she wanted so I kept an eye out for her, you know." Oak nodded like he fully understood Wiggly words. "I just hope she had an honorable death, is Red still sleeping?"

Charmeleon was not in the mood for questions; however he nodded and replied, "Red is still sleeping...if he is sleeping at all." He let the statement sink in. "Layla died trying to stop me and Red. The moment we entered the dungeon, we were overcome with inexplicable anger and at first we hunted her down before turning on each other and as we battled in front of Bryst - bad decision I know -" Green stated when Wigglytuff opened his mouth to interrupt, "we were trying to kill each other and when she tried to stop us, Bryst killed her." He paused in his narration; her artless death surprised him. Did she really die like that? The moment seemed much more heavy, complicated and confusing. "She bled to death," he clarified. "Bryst sliced her neck and we did everything to close the wound but it just wouldn't." Oak grew frantic and the words poured out of his mouth. "She wouldn't heal, we saw her bleed on the platform, black blood and fire," Green whispered, "I don't think, I don't think I'm ever going to forget it."

"I apologize for your loss," Wigglytuff murmured and for a brief second, anger flared in Oak's chest. "I should leave," the guild master wriggled off the stool and clutched his staff, "needless to say, the two of you must complete the dungeon." Green languidly nodded. "And if you ever need any help, you are free to come to me." A ghost of a smile passed Wiggly's face and he exited the house, hobbling down the cobblestoned paths and out of sight. The moment he left, Charmeleon gazed at the spread on the table, his appetite promptly vanished. Not wanting to waste food, he packed the leftovers in large leaves. Clearing the table, he glanced at the stairwell, willing for Red to tumble down. However, the plant type did not appear and when the morning sun shone through the window and drew a large rectangle on the kitchen floor, Green left for work.

Splayed on the carpet of grass lining his bedroom floor, Red hurried to the window when the door closed; Wigglytuff's bulk squeezed out the gate and he meandered to the pathway, crushing exhaustion apparent in his steps. The staff clonked on the ground and after the guild master walked to the main street, he rotated, fixing his gaze on the Ivysaur crouched on the window sill. The plant type stared back, gaze snapping to the milky eye. Wigglytuff waited some more and then turned towards the guild whilst Red diverted his attention to the skies where the sun shone through patches of clouds. The early morning's drizzle eased and pokemon emerged from their homes. Almost an hour later, another thud echoed from below and the plant type watched Green scurry down the streets, determination in his stride. A stirring of jealously swirled in Red's stomach and he admonished himself.

Green's methodical and rational approach to life allowed him to swallow his sadness and leave for work, while Red drowned in the intensity of his sorrow. He sought for comfort, but from whom? The pokemon around him disappeared just as they came, one day they were there and the next day they vanished. Cyng, with his quiet wisdom and blank expression could soothe him, but Ivysaur did not want to grow close to anyone anymore. The guild master was enigmatic, even if he had the best intentions, Red suspected Wigglytuff hid some deep, dark secret that seemed trivial compared to weeping for a comrade who would one day leave without fail.

How convoluted.

A deep exhale left his lips and he dropped back on the floor. A flowery aroma wafted through the room and Red crawled to the kitchen, muscles protesting with each step. He won't be recovering from Bryst's dungeon that easily. The kitchen remained spotless, only the berry jar and a plate of cookies looked out of place. Not bothering with bread, Red sandwiched a few biscuits with jam and wolfed the lot. It tasted better than he expected.

The streets of Treasure Town were still the same, a flock of birds flapped through the sky with packages clamped between beaks. The guild rose in the periphery of his vision and Ivysaur ignored it, turning westward to dive back into the residential area. Here, the towering buildings shadowed his form but the warmth spilling from the small coffee shops and little patches of sunlight, wreathed over him. Gradually, the domiciles receded from view and he walked along the park, debating whether to go in and work. Surely his boss would understand? Standing at the threshold, Red picked out the Emporium, a speck from this distance, shaking his head, he bumbled right past the park and coursed for the church instead. No matter how many times he laid eyes on the building, it still awed him. The large dome and solemn stained glass fixed a tiny position for Red inside the universe. An insignificant position, he pondered and settled to study the stained glass. He loved the colors and the sneering, almost disapproving looks of the legendary pokemon.

It made him feel like a criminal.

Elsewhere, inside the bustling market and next to the postal service of the town, Green stood behind a counter and smiled tightly to a pair of seasoned dungeon crawlers as they argued over the price of a gold leafed bone. Why they wanted a stupid bone covered in the barest hint of gold, Oak did not know and nor did he care. When he barreled inside Cinccino's mart with a satchel bopping wildly on his side, the manager gave him a customary glance and noted pain swirling in his eyes, she smiled reassuringly and Charmeleon felt angry all over again. The same occurred with his co-workers, Emolga took one look at his face and stopped her flirtatious praise and Pansear offered him juice. Gritting out a polite greeting, Green assumed his position behind the counter and waited for the first wave of customers to explode inside the shop. As Claene predicted, business did increase in her establishment. Emolga took great pleasure in propagating his draconic charm nonsense and today, Oak was happy for the distraction.

"This is a vanillish bone," an Espeon pompously declared and held the artifact between the prongs of her tails.

"A what?" The parasect next to her sputtered, milky white eyes widening in disbelief. "You actually believe that crap about vanillish having bones? Are you out of your mind?" The insect clicked its pincers and turned to examine other curiosities lining the shelf.

The psychic pokemon hid her annoyance under a layer of professional calm, but Green saw her skin ripple and along with it, a multitude of scars hiding under baby pink fur. "This comes from Gluttony's dungeon," Espeon sniffed the bone delicately, "the gold is farmed from Greed but the bone reeks of darkness and the stench of shadows, it comes from Gluttony and you cannot argue with me." Parasect nodded in agreement and Green wondered how long he and Red would have to stay in Gehenna if they wanted to identify fossilized bone by smell; he did not want to think about it. "That dungeon contains hydreigon but this is not a dragon's bone. According to you, the rest don't have bones but I can sense ice on this one, so enlighten me."

Parasect, long bored of his companion's need to sniff each and every souvenir they buy, tuned out, but an ominous crackle in the air forced him to reply. "Vanillish is made of organic ice which they manufacture inside their bodies; it is a never ending process. Their cones are tiny stubs of cartilage they have when they were a Vanillite and they simply pile hard ice on top to make an icicle for protection. Like I said before, they don't have bones. The one you picked up may come from outside or it's simply the dungeon master eating a scoop of ice-cream with a bone." The bug examined the bone thoroughly before handing it back. "Are you sure you want it? It's not gonna help us in rescue missions."

Espeon scanned her friend, tail contorting. "How do you know so much about vanillish?" she asked, her eyes narrowed into slits. "Sounds like you studied them, everyone knows dungeon monsters vanish the second their flimsy heart stops beating."

Green quickly wrapped a sphere of litwick flame and sent the customer away with a genial greeting; he was desperate to hear the conversation taking place.

"I had a friend," Parasect lifted large pincers in the air, a sign of defeat, "he melted in Bryst's dungeon."

Their talk ended there and they resumed searching with somber expressions. Oak clenched his fists, claws digging into his palms; he was satisfied with the punishment doled to him for eavesdropping.

* * *

Regally poised under the park Emporium's awning, Serperior inhaled the sweet aroma of flowers and grass, he balanced a mug of tea between his vines and a slew of fresh crisscrosses scored his underbelly. The grass snake appeared to be waiting, his emotionless eyes glided over the horizon and the emerald locket glinted. "Red failed to arrive for work today," he stated to no one in particular and sipped, the sun peaked and slowly continued travelling. Shadows lengthened as late afternoon approached. "I heard he returned from Bryst's dungeon yesterday and must still recover...However it would be nice if he popped in, I could give him some healing herbs." Cyng swayed slightly and turned to see his best friend dismissively flick his ears. Tamen's eyes never stayed still and they prowled the streets, ready to bring some petty lawbreaker to justice.

"Layla failed to turn up as well." Umbreon groomed, pink tongue rasping over the snarls on his glossy coat. "Although, she will never turn up again." A gleam of something sad passed through the feline's eyes and his mouth twitched. "She was one of my best patrollers."

A pregnant silence hung in the air as the afternoon wore on.

"So one of their companions are dead." Cyng blandly stated and trained his knowing gaze on Tamen. "I thought you shunned your emotions, but I still see a flicker of them dancing in your eyes." The snake drowned the contents of its mug and exhaled a cloud of steam. One tendril wrapped around the ceramic utensil and shot inside the Emporium, depositing the dirty cup on a table.

Disapproving his friend's statement, Tamen pawed the ground, voices from inside the green house spilled out, plant types heckled with each other and argued about the best conditions for potted shrubs. "I try to adapt, not shun. Shunning means I don't have a life anymore, without emotions...One cannot judge." Umbreon held his friend's gaze meaningfully, inwardly screaming at the blank faced serperior to smile, frown or show a silver of emotion. Instead, Cyng's visage remained like untainted stone and the dark type resumed gazing at the marble fountain rooted in the center of the park. "I know what you went through, but it's not appropriate to let go of the very things that define you."

"Emotions are useless." Cyng cut in, his whisper deadlier than the leaf blades he attacked with.

The moonlight pokemon stiffened and reluctantly nodded. "I agree, if we never felt anything, the trials of Gehenna would be useless. However, I'm perfectly aware that you suffer just like the rest of us and there is indeed hope of your humanity somewhere deep inside you." Tamen licked his paw and froze, his attention snared by a movement on the far side of the park. A houndour darted away in the shadows and surprisingly, Umbreon simply observed and returned to his grooming. "You may look like you possess no feelings, but your presence states otherwise." He finished and curled on the floor.

"What do you feel?" Serperior demanded softly.

Tamen closed his eyes. "Tranquility," he rasped.

The grass snake paused with his mouth open, an invisible smile curling on his lips. "I suppose, it will water down your pride." The feline's gunmetal blue eyes snapped open and his mouth inched into a grin. Sunlight flashed off Tamen's needle-like teeth.

Two days later

Gehenna

Cathedral

The double wooden doors groaned open, a slight protest echoed in the hollow chambers and Red crept inside, eyes lingering at the cusped arches making up the threshold. He pulled his gaze off the majestic stained window and preferred to stare at Reshiram and Zekrom instead. The black and white duo dominated the heavens and their presence forced Ivysaur to swallow thickly. Lately, acid gurgled in the closed confines of his bulb, however, when he sprayed it, the acrid fluid lost its potency. Grass did not wilt, stone refused to melt. Breakfast consisted of whatever leftovers Green graciously left him, which was not much to begin with because both creatures simultaneously lost their appetites. Their unspoken rule of silence continued and none of them wasted effort to remedy the gap. Each day, when Red strolled down the colorful streets, the bright flowers looked a bit duller, sunlight did not shine with its golden intensity anymore and the blood stains on stone pathways appeared vividly bright. Splashes of color, centuries old and fading into oblivion, grew alive under Red's gaze. Mindlessly, he shouldered through throngs of other pokemon, all of them walked purpose fully. Quite a few times, he walked right to the park entrance, breathed in the scent of flowers and abruptly, his feet guided him to the church and before midday, he gazed at the stained glass till the deity pokemon leered at him in a grotesque fashion.

Today, he plucked up enough courage and entered the domicile, marveling at the amount of monsters always present inside its stone paneled walls. Did these people visit places of worship before they died? He contemplated and crawled across the center aisle, of course not, or else they would not be here would they? The rational part of his mind agreed but somewhere, in the dark recesses of his skull, a demanding part of him agreed that _he_ was a good person, _he_ lived a good life and yet, _he_ ended up here.

A group of Blissey and Audino swept the halls and waxed the pews till the surfaces gleamed like brown glass. Tiny lockets, strung on a fine silver chain and wreathed around their necks, rattled as they worked. The cavernous hall whispered in Red's ears, a multitude of supplications exhaled by different creatures, melted into one long prayer. Perhaps he should pray as well? Making up his mind, Ivysaur clawed on a bench and settled comfortably, as soon as he closed his eyes, a reel of images snapped by. His arms around a bunch of people with ragged smiles and sharp gazes. The pictures flashed one by one and his heart caught in his throat at the familiarity. They were pure souls too, with heads and hearts full of pure determination. But somehow, someone whisked by them and turned their straight, obstacle laden goal into a twisted, thorn ridden path and they all jumped for the bait. Red's heart raced, not the happy race, but a thumping which caused him to writhe in agony at his foolish decisions.

Foolish and intentional.

The images dissolved, whipped by some imaginary wind back into the shady catacombs of his mind and Ivysaur gasped and tugged, willing them to surface so he could atone. Instead, they dissolved like matter in strong acid and left him with a hollow, aching feeling. And it stung as worse as Layla's death.

Opening his eyes, Red resigned to stare at the ceiling. All the previous ebullience, mustered over the course of an entire morning, evaporated and weariness claimed his bones. How could Green show up for work every single day whilst he, Ivysaur, could not spare the energy to occupy his mind? Sleep was not an option as screams, accusations and horrors of the trials yet to come, plagued his dreams. Lost in the luxurious folds of Reshiram's creamy plumage, Red failed to see a Blissey approach him with a salver of grilled berries. The tangy aroma clawed him back to the present moment and after plastering a strained smile, he politely declined. In spite of being ravenous, his stomach protested at the sight of wholesome food and did a back-flip. If this continued further, he would empty the meager contents of his stomach on the spotless floor.

"No thank you." The seed pokemon backed away from the tantalizing wafts. "I'm not feeling very hungry."

Blissey, sensing his discomfort, did not step forward. "Food warms the heart and makes everyone happy," she soothed and her face crinkled into a sincere smile. "Eat up and feel better." The pokemon placed the dish on the ground and waited patiently, Red did not have the heart to tell her that his taste buds died with the rest of his soul and even fragrant lemongrass, his favorite chewing snack, tasted like river slop.

"I-"

"You need to eat," Blissey gently insisted, "you are starving and depressed." For a second, her tender facade cracked to reveal a creature struggling with a great responsibility thrust upon her shoulders. "I understand, we all do, but you cannot give up." She pushed the tray towards Red and the steaming berries came to a stop near his feet. "Giving up is forbidden," unshakable resolve covered her serene eyes, "you need to push forward and prove yourself a worthy person, do it for yourself and for those who believed in you." Blissey imparted advice and waddled back to the front of the church. Sniffing the air greedily, Red salivated involuntarily. The fruit skins cracked in just the right places and rivulets of colorful juice ran down the entire mound, coating it in an appetizing, honeyed glaze. Inhaling deeply, he closed his jaw over the cooked fruits and sat back, savoring the complement of flavors. To his surprise, they tasted like the colors they represented and not like cardboard or boiling water.

Red chewed, grinding the seeds and digesting them, the coldness of the floor seeped on to his hide, making him feel alive. He redirected his thoughts to the present, to reality, and focused on the things around him, the mirror-esque shine of the pews, sounds ricocheting off the walls and the breathtaking fresco. Ivysaur struggled to keep his thoughts in the present and for a few seconds; the world bloomed in beautiful tones instead of gray scale.

For a few seconds.

Then, his mind whiplashed, dragging him back to Bryst's hellish dungeon and the surrounds faded into black and white. Like the two dragons circling the ceiling.

* * *

In the bustle of Vespiquen's eatery, Green eyed the cider displayed on the wooden bar for the umpteenth time and wondered if it would jolt him back to reality. Unfortunately he could not afford such luxury and spent most of his money on a well done steak. The meat energized him and he poured this energy into work, relishing the distraction in the form of curious customers and jolly co-workers. After work, a stone cold house greeted him, the kitchen stayed in the same fashion as he left it and no evidence suggested that Red even came close to the heath. A slab of steaming meat sat on a plate and Charmander poked an overgrown nail through it, comforted by the heat. Opposite him, Pansear and Emolga eyed the steak with palpable disgust on their features, but they graciously accepted Green treating them to food. Emolga crunched though a salad of berries and nuts, picking the fruits in her dainty hands and critically inspecting them before viciously shoving it in her mouth; she talked through a mouthful of food and berry juice dipped past the corners of her mouth, staining her ruff. Dining on a bed of leaves and fruit, Pansear grinned widely as he lightly charred his vegetables before gracefully eating them.

Oak watched his co-companions detachedly and when Pansear looked up, he hurriedly tore a chunk of food and chewed it. The fire monkey shifted, a telltale sign of his never ending curiosity and Green inwardly moaned, he did not want a pop-quiz; his friends should be grateful for the free supper, return to their lofty apartments and leave him alone. But deep down he knew friends operated on a wholly different level and if they harbored an iota of concern, they will ask uncomfortable questions. "Green..." Pansear began and Charmeleon's tail momentarily flared. "I appreciate you treating us to food every evening, however," the simian shared a quick look with Emolga, who paused in her stuffing and fixed glassy eyes on the dragonoid, "we are concerned about your spending." The electric mouse nodded. "We all earn quite the amount but you are splurging." Pansear pointed to the exotic dishes littering the table. "And uh...I'm sorry for being so blunt but, why in Giratina's name are you spending every moment with us? You have your own buddies right? Layla and Red?" The monkey leaned back, head flames shimmering slightly, his eyes searched Oak and the latter did not appreciate the scrutiny.

 _Lie_. Green's mind urged.

Instead, his mouth disobeyed him. "Layla is dead, she died in the dungeon of Wrath." His eyebrows shot up, in tandem with his friend's twin looks of horror. "And Red and I...Keep on missing each other. We live in the same apartment but...we never see each other." Oak inwardly cursed and focused on his steak, the pitying expressions on his comrade's faces, disgusted him. In an instant, they will murmur their heartfelt condolences and leave.

And they will have no idea of the weight crushing his chest.

A weight which grew heavier every single day.

"So Layla is dead, what are you gonna do? Mope about it?" Emolga tartly responded, slamming her tiny hands on the glittering feldspar table top. Dishes rattled and a fine spark of electricity fluffed her fur.

The flame on Pansear's head dimmed. "Emolga, stop it!" he admonished.

She whirled around. "No," the electric mouse hissed through tiny teeth. "For the past week, he moped around and now he invites us over to dinner because he is too afraid to face his friend is it?" She pointed a nail at him, "That's not the Green we know!"

"He is grieving-"

"He had plenty of time to grieve," Emolga snapped, her electric gaze bouncing back and forth between the two males. "Gehenna is not kind to anyone." Facing Green, she fired, "so buckle up and do what you are supposed to do." The patrons from adjacent tables rotated to see the drama unfolding. Green froze in the onslaught of the sky squirrel's words and Pansear, glowering at Emolga, thought she crushed him.

Far from being crushed, Charmeleon laughed. A throaty bark rattled his body and he clutched his stomach. The two monsters opposite him exchanged a panicked glance. "I think you broke him." Pansear's voice vibrated and Emolga did not know whether to leave the chortling dragon, or give him a hug.

"You remind me of a pesky woman I used to know." Oak finally calmed down, jade eyes resting on Emolga. "...Thanks," a small smile revealed his canines and the electric squirrel flushed and looked away. Green hopped from his stool and slung his leafy satchel across his shoulders. "Thanks for the pep talk," he repeated, tail waving genially. "I'll go see Red...And I won't give up." Holding his head up high, the dragon vanished down the passageway.

Pansear watched him go, feeling proud for some odd reason, next to him, Emolga played with her food and wore a ponderous frown on her face. "Well, you managed to pull him out of whatever hole he fell in, so I guess, you could try and score a date or something with Green?" The simian packed leftovers in large leaves, fine cuisine must not be wasted.

The electric type looked up, worry rimming her silver eyes. "Yeah, but I have competition in the form of a 'pesky woman' or whoever he talks about." Suddenly, a feverish gleam seized the sky squirrel's face and Pansear regretted cajoling her. "We need to find out the identity of this pesky woman. She might be his girlfriend!"

Somewhere, in the sprawling streets of Treasure Town, Green's clawed feet tripped over a pebble resting innocently on a sidewalk and he face planted on the ground.

A vicious, muffled curse escaped his mouth.

* * *

 **Wrath's Quote by:** Frederick Buechner

 **A/N:** Sorry for the delay, I was caught up in things. Here is the next chapter, in the aftermath of Layla's death. At Jack54311: Yeah...I killed her. Didn't want to though, but then I decided a story wasn't fun without any deaths.

Anyway, enjoy and thanks to all those who read and review. Choco cookies to all


	18. Wrong turned right

**Wrong turned right**

Dusk

Treasure Town

Guild

Giratina's underworld hosted a load of problems, most of these were commissioned by the serpentine legendary but others were brought on by his subjects. These new inconsistencies cropped slowly, but eventually unleashed a furious toll on Wigglytuff's scarred back. An unbearable pain wracked his body and his breath puffed in ragged gasps. The moment passed and he straightened, bones tender from the pain; beyond the glass windows, an angry, orange-red sun dipped between the mountains and the sky darkened considerably. Wiggly prayed for the day to last longer, but time relentlessly marched and very soon, day and night would have no meaning at all.

Wrapping a pudgy hand around the smooth handle of his walking stick, he hauled to his feet after several tries. Sweat shone on his body and his blind eye throbbed; desperate to get out of the chamber, which reeked of Darkrai, Wiggly tugged the emblem around his neck and hobbled towards the door. Before he reached it, the entrance flew open to reveal Gothitelle's worry twisted visage and the guild master winced, sometimes, having an all sensing companion had its drawbacks. Melody waltzed inside the room and floated to a stop in front of Wiggly, her crown of jewels twinkled dimly and he stood upright in a flimsy effort to calm her troubled expression.

The astral body pokemon studied the guild master; and his passive face betrayed no inner turmoil. Fatigued from keeping upright, Wiggly sank on the bed. "You look terrible." Melody finally broke the silence and drifted. "Are you sure you aren't dying?" The thought was not a particularly comforting one and Gothitelle grew accustomed, perhaps fond, of the guild master's idiosyncrasies. Her eyes snapped to the clear space on top of Wiggly's head and she locked gazes with him. "You claim to be immortal," she sighed, "but you appear to have one foot dipped into the cycle of rebirth." Wiggly smiled sardonically. "I understand you signed a contract with Lord Giratina and it came with terms and conditions," Melody settled on the bed, "however, you are failing to keep with the demands and now you are paying the price," she factually stated and peeked at the portraits lining the room. Centuries old pictures leered back at her. "Do you...Do you mind telling me what you must do?" she gently enquired and Wigglytuff conveniently ignored her. "I am worried about you, day by day, you steadily grow worse and it's painful. I'm sure if you share your predicament with us, Rooque and I will be more than willing to help." Melody waited for a response; surely the enigmatic guild master would spill his secrets and smooth the cracks between their relationships. However, he clammed up, shoulders drooping from a responsibility Melody failed to fathom. "Please, if you ever need to talk, know that we are always here to lend an ear to your woes. You are not alone." Gothitelle pointed to the paintings. "You were never alone."

"You are wrong." Wigglytuff's broken voice halted Melody in her tracks. "You are wrong," the guild master repeated and she froze. "I am alone, I have been alone ever since she died and I went on a foolhardy mission to prove myself." When he looked up, the sting of betrayal swam in Gothitelle's half-moon eyes. "What I do, is ill-befitting of a guild master and it shames me to share my secrets with companions like you. My opinion of you and Rooque is very high and I do not want to taint our friendship with grudges." Once again, Wiggly stood and his lips tilted in a sad smile. "Don't worry," he reassured, "I'll find a way to get myself back in shape, but please, don't pry any further and make sure not to tell Rooque any of your suspicions." Melody held the door open and the guild master lumbered though, the smell of sweat and nightmares clung to his frame like a shroud.

Far from the guild and close to the residential part of the village, Green peeled his face off the floor. A spot of brown stubbornly refused to leave his hide and grimacing; he licked the offending color off his normally spotless body. Satisfied with the new shine on his coat, he scampered through single houses, tail swerving to avoid the monsters heading home. A familiar, paint peeling condominium popped in his vision and he barreled towards the rusting gate. Oak walked over the pavement and stopped. Bravery deserted him. Swallowing a lungful of air and puffing his chest, he opened the door. The occupant sitting inside the cool interior of the kitchen petrified and the duo stared at each other. Not daring to speak.

And again, Green broke their unspoken rule of silence.

"Hey," his voice quivered and he let the door shut with a bang, "we haven't seen each other for an entire week." Charmeleon stood at the table, stomach coiling into anxious knots. "I leave early for work and since you are still sleeping, I didn't want to bother-"

Red pointed at a chair. "Sit down," he said. "I've been thinking, instead of moping around, we should go out there and try to conquer a dungeon. It'll take our mind off things." Ivysaur stared meaningfully at his friend, looking for a disapproving twitch; Green blanked for a second and then opened his mouth to protest. "I know what you wanna say," Red cut in, "we should do a lot of research before we set foot in a dungeon, honestly speaking, I don't like sitting with books." At his statement, the dragonoid rolled his eyes. "So I volunteer we head over to the guild right now, read a few snippets on Sloth's dungeon and head off tomorrow morning. Or even better, we snag Wiggly and have him spill a few secrets." Red nodded sagely, proud of the plan his half melted brain concocted. Charmeleon did not comment but his tail thrashed sideways, as he ruminated over the proposal. "If you are tired, we can go the day after," the plant type hurriedly added after seeing fatigue line Green's face.

Oak shook his head, spirits rising to the challenge; maybe this is what they both needed, a big, life endangering distraction. "No, I'm good to go, can't sleep anyway," he muttered and Red agreed. "We can spend the night in the guild, a change of scenery might help me knock off for a few hours." For the first time since their companion's death, Red cracked a genuine smile and a heavy load lifted off his chest, Green grinned toothily and the duo spontaneously burst into a short, relieved laugh. The quiet chuckles vibrated against the spacious kitchen and gradually petered out.

A sky streaked in pink clouds hung over Gehenna and the duo ambled across the streets, sharing small talk. Green was not pleased when Red confessed to spending his free time fretting over worries inside the church instead of going to work. A breeze swept through the hamlet, bearing the smell of salt and sea spray. Along the way to the guild, Red spied the hunched form of Wigglytuff who limped through the paved roads and paused every few minutes to drink in the sights of his beloved town. He rested at the village center, staff planted in a groove spiraling across the stone circlet. Prodding Oak, Ivysaur pointed to the balloon pokemon and the two made a beeline for him. Red grinned deviously as he decided to wring all the latest dungeon crawling secrets. Unfortunately, Wiggly sensed their approach and spotting the not so innocent grin screwed on Ivysaur's face, he groaned and clutched his walking stick, already dreading the conversation. A small part of him felt glad to see determination ringing their eyes as Layla's death spurred them on to complete the trials with an unrelenting mindset.

Wigglytuff waited for the two to stop. "If you want to know something, I suggest you visit the library, situated conveniently on the fifth floor of the guild which is just over there." He pointed with this staff, fully knowing Red would never heed his advice.

"Sure I'd be heading there," Red drawled, "if I wanted to read." He plopped to the floor. "I need quick answers."

The balloon pokemon rolled his eyes, patience rapidly thinning. "Of course you do," he snarked, but Red lacked his usual fire and failed to retort. "...Look, I'm currently very, very tired and I'd like to be by myself," Wigglytuff hoarsely said. "If your queries are urgent, I suggest you visit the library. Reading is not your forte, but it won't kill you and I'm sure Green would appreciate the smell of ink on pages."

Red ignored his pleas. "We wanna go to the dungeon of Sloth tomorrow," he unashamedly continued, "give us a tip or two, then I'll be gone."

A dark haze churning around a cyan eye, hugged the buildings. Body turning into ice, the guild master stammered, "Sloth must be completed last, it is the most difficult dungeon." The black blight took shape. "I suggest you try your luck with some other trial and now that I answered your questions, leave." Abruptly, Wiggly hefted the stick and sped down a side road, squeezing his bulk through two brick faces. Red and Green exchanged curious glances, wondering what plagued the usually confident beast. Shrugging, they retreated back to the main street.

 _Did you think you could escape me?_

Darkrai materialized in front of the fleeing guild master, a delighted twinkle in its eye. A cloud of fear gave Wiggly's presence away and like deerling caught in headlights; he froze and turned around, large eyes begging for mercy. "If you want mercy," the nightmare offshoot rumbled, "you best fulfill your duties. New pokemon will wash up on the shores of the Beach and you will kill them or else face the consequences." Darkrai phased through the guild master and Wiggly doubled to his knees, clawing at his eyes and breathing harshly.

 _Remember my warning._

The environment resonated with the dark type's final words.

Standing in front of the guild's gate, Red admired the torches clamped on either side of the double height doors. The froslass patrolling the entrance, nodded to them and the gate opened, creaking at the joints. Sounds of revelry and arguments rolled in the street and Ivysaur smiled, remembering his first night. He and Green stalked inside and the pokemon cut a path for them. The guild vestibule remained the same, scratched tiles underfoot and the receptionist Manectric hidden behind a reinforced glass window. The electric type focused lamp-like eyes on a brewing argument and when breloom and sandslash noted the discharge pokemon, they immediately let their quarrel drop and retreated near the information board. Manectric resumed skimming his paperwork and slurping a berry smoothie; he wagged a greeting at the fire and grass duo and enquired their reason for visiting.

Red answered, "We'd like to stay here for a night, our apartment feels empty and it's depressing."

Manectric blinked owlishly, disarmed by the strange request. "Guild master Wigglytuff's orders are absolute," he droned politely, "a pokemon cannot stay inside the guild if they have other lodgings, I'm sorry, there is nothing I can do." The electric type shuffled documents, praying for the two to leave.

"Please," Green cut in, "it's just for a night." Manectric exhaled heavily, whilst he maintained a neutral relationship with most of the guild members, he could not help favoring some of the more colorful characters. And by colorful, he meant the stoic dragons, one which currently eyeballed him. Grinding his teeth dissatisfiedly, he grunted his consent, tattooed tail twitching gleefully when a tiny smile grew on Charmeleon's face.

The next morning, dawn

Gehenna

Forests

Stomping into Sloth's lair without a plan is a foolhardy quest and only the harebrained attempted such a thing, however, Green, long immersed in his best friend's shenanigans, followed the latter blindly through disastrous schemes and cursed himself for it. When he woke up, bleary eyed and confused by the foreign surroundings, Oak wondered why he lay submerged in a pool of bubbling lava. Yesterday's events rushed back to him like a tumultuous whirlwind and he glimpsed Ivysaur waking up. They planned to eat a hearty breakfast and spend a few hours in the library, researching, before heading off to Gehenna's most dangerous trial.

Unfortunately, fate hardly swung Green's way and it gravitated towards the bumbling bulb.

After noting terror frothing in the eyes of a half asleep cherrim, Charmeleon descended to the second floor. The wooden steps and walls vibrated from the din wafting from the eating hall as pokemon cheered and slammed their mugs. Milk and honey pooled on the tables and the aroma of warm bread, muffins and cookies permeated the air. The duo stepped inside, grinning at the nostalgic sight. Scarred patrons greeted them genially and Charmeleon peeked at his underbelly, noting a score of scars; shrugging at the realization, he trailed Red to an empty table near the window and sat. Instantaneously, a lopunny materialized, bearing a tray of bread, jams and a bowl of crushed berries sprinkled with seeds. Hunger gnawed in the pit of Oak's stomach and the moment the bunny placed breakfast on the table, he snatched it. Smacking a slice of bread on his plate, Oak spread it liberally with jam, plopped yoghurt and covered it with another slice; disregarding Red's mild stare of disgust, he blew a flame over his cobbled sandwich, charred the outsides and bit off a large chunk, relishing the complex burst of flavors against his tongue. Outside, the pre-dawn mist had yet to evaporate and Green slowed to appreciate the sight of a quiet hamlet swamped with fog and washed in the watery sunlight of dawn.

The mist spiraled away and revealed the town inch by inch and whilst Charmeleon wanted to curl at the window and watch Treasure Town emerge from a blanket of silvery white, pressing matters pressured him. He nodded to Red and intoned he will be in the library, reading facts. Right there, the stupid Ivysaur announced they will be leaving for Sloth without prior preparations because an adventure is best experienced when it is riddled with surprises. Neurons fired in the dragonoid's brain, urging him to fry the excuse of a friend and send him to the next life. Eyes bugging at his companion's sheer inanity, Green groped in the haze of his scattered mind, trying to grasp his rationality and haul it out, but the blithe smile on Red's face forced logic to retreat deeper and after gesticulating wildly, Green gave up; tail sagging to the floor and cementing his agreement Red's outrageous plans.

"Excellent," Red piped and hopped down from the stool. "We are leaving this very moment; I snagged bottles of water from the counter, they were very sympathetic to my cause." Green resisted the urge to punch a hole in the wall. "Sloth is situated near the Beach of Evocation, in a small patch of forest to the north." Ivysaur informed and stashed food parcels in his bag. "I've got emergency rations and berry potions…" He trembled slightly. "Let's leave before I lose my nerve, sometimes things are better left unknown." Red bowed as he exited and Green followed behind, glaring at anyone bold enough to jab at them. Half of his mind lingered on Red's words and he whole heartedly disagreed.

Adventures were best experienced when armed to the teeth with knowledge of potential disasters; instead, Red thought the opposite and bumbled his way into danger. Ever since he was a kid.

A kid?

The town's outskirts gradually thinned to golden sand. On the left, large black gates obscured the hypnotic ebb of the ocean's waves and a perpetual twilight. The gates leading to Gehenna proper, bubbled and each door continued carvings of Giratina and his offshoot, like a series of macabre artworks. Tearing his eyes from a particularly ghastly scene, where Giratina skewered his son with a multitude of spiked tendrils, Green stared straight ahead, eyes catching sable towers and blackened trees. A forest of withered branches knotted to form a stark woodland where the grass tinted grey. Nothing resembling a trial lay between the stark trunks and Charmeleon halted, confused. Lust's dungeon took place in a giant baby doll thing which could be spotted from a mile whilst Malus concealed her dungeon inside a humungous tree. Pride hung above the world, a columnar dungeon in the clouds.

Oak shifted, his head pounded a warning and he learned to trust his instincts, if not act on them. "I'm getting a really bad vibe from this place," he warned. "I can't see the dungeon and we can't afford to get lost in this place." Lighting a fireball in his palm, Green smashed the nearest tree trunk and like a dry straw, it folded with a loud, crisp crack. "There, we can use this as a sort of a landmark." He dusted his hands and darted into the undergrowth. "Let's get this trial over and done with."

No sunlight fell on this particular patch of forest and Red's bulb gurgled. Blood roared in his veins. The forest reeked of death and it unnerved him. Stone dry grass crackled and turned into puffs of dust when he stepped on and soon, a cloud of grey covered his bluish-green hide. Impossibly tall trunks rose around them like black straws, the branches wove together and blotted the sky. A disconcerting quietude engulfed the area and the two beasts scuttled on the forest floor, afraid of breaking the strange silence. With each step forward, Ivysaur's limbs assumed an unnatural weight; nonetheless, he firmly locked eyes on Green's tail flame and followed. A dry tendril attempted to thwart Red's progress and he splayed acid on the decaying plant and moved. Before long, the undergrowth crawled with brown vines and fallen leaves and Oak charged, scattering the vegetation. Ivysaur, incapable of such agility, struggled to dash after the dragon and in the brief moment, the creepers covered the path and tripped the plant type. A particularly nasty snag threw him head over heels and mortified, Red picked himself up and froze.

A grey vine snaked across the leaves, climbing his back leg and Ivysaur shivered at the sensation. Undeterred by the poisonous sweat coating the grass type's body, it writhed across and on reaching the under belly, Red ripped a mighty scream and thrashed, the vine squeezed, biting into his hide and he poured acid. Audibly hissing, the tendril shriveled and fell to the floor just as Green barreled back to the clearing.

"What happened?" he demanded, eyes roaming around the undergrowth for possible enemies. "I don't see anyone."

Ivysaur panted, "The forest…it's alive." Charmeleon cocked a disbelieving eyebrow and pointed to the obviously withered grass and tree trunks spanning in all directions. "I just got attacked by one. This place, it reeks of death but, it's alive at the same time. I can feel it in the air." Red raised his face and sniffed. "And I can smell the stagnant life lingering inside here." Green copied his friend and sniffed, he smelt nothing, apart from the acrid stench of dead grass and the fragrant, woody tones of dried bark. "I think it has something to do with me being part plant," Ivysaur explained. "I feel exhausted just by slogging through this place." Eyeing the dismal environment sharply, Oak failed to see anything remotely threatening and he scurried along the path. The woods sucked light like a black hole and to make their surrounds clearer, he let his tail flame blaze. Red lumbered behind him, pausing every few moments to catch his breath, in time, the plant type's jaw expanded to accommodate more teeth and the foliage amassing on his back grew exponentially. His flower bud opened and closed, releasing puffs of bright yellow and purple powder.

A sound slithered across the forest floor and the duo halted with their ears pricked. When no more distractions issued forth, they darted again, searching for the trial entrance. Everywhere they looked, the plantation remained a featureless grey, brown and black. The slithering noise restarted, accompanied by a crunch of dead leaves, Red whirled around and gasped when a vine lashed across his face. Half convinced that he was dreaming, Green rolled to the side when a tendril, bearing brown leaves, whipped him. Another wilted vine wrapped around his forelimb and he pulled, expecting it to tear easily, instead, the plant dragged him across and a net of vines fell upon him like starved carnivores. Biting on the withered knots hurt Charmeleon's teeth and left a paralyzing numbness in his mouth. Opposite him, a bunch of tendrils danced around Red, before running him through. Ivysaur shrieked and writhed in the grip of a hundred spears. Olive blood wept from his wounds and he fell to the floor, eyes glazed. The vines retreated but Red made no effort to move away from the murderous plants skirting around him.

The flickering flame on Green's tail engulfed his entire body, it spread, turning his restraints into charcoal. The deed done, Charmeleon brushed soot of his coat while Red rocked on the floor; and when his coat glimmered in its customary, vermillion shine, the dragon marched forth, kicking Red upright and resuming the search for Sloth's entrance, which may have disappeared further inside the forest. A very insistent part of him regretted not researching for the elusive dungeon and now, they both paid the price. Not that Ivysaur cared. The two set off, eyes, ears and nose peeled for the horrific plants. Barely a meter later, a bank of earth exploded in front of them

Instinctively, the two monsters stepped backwards and Oak inhaled sharply, limbs heavy and pace sluggish. Clumps of soil rained down and he crouched to avoid getting pelted. Spindly shapes leered at them, thrashing and spitting globs of gelatinous fluid and as the screen of dust settled, Green's mouth fell open in horror. "What the..." he sputtered and pointed a dirt encrusted claw at the monstrously large plants swaying in front of them.

"Hell is that?" Red finished. Like the rest of the forest, these plants tinted in tones of ash grey and brown. Bud shaped flowers tossed on thick, flexible stems and Ivysaur, fascination overriding the urgent need to flee, observed. One of the buds opened with a slickening splat and Red's urge to live kicked in. Barbed vines poured from the flower and dripped with vicious, foul smelling fluid. Turning around, the duo fled, streaking across the undergrowth and praying to Giratina. Like a trap sprung, the earth detonated in more places and out jumped the mutant plants. A few buds were lined with rows of zigzagged teeth. Tendrils of saliva hung from their closed mouths, contorting with a will of their own. "If one of those touches us, we die," Red informed unhelpfully and puffed his way to freedom, but everywhere they turned, the forest vomited surprises. "Do you think the trial is a maze of some sort?" Ivysaur halted to a crawl and croaked, "Perhaps this death ridden forest of trees is THE dungeon?" he asked. "Because Arceus forbid if the real trial starts after we get to some sort of building, this area is more dangerous than Envy's creepy puppet zombie pokemon!" Red hurtled after Green who sparked the ground, clearing the way. "I can't run anymore..." Ivysaur complained. "My heart is gonna jump out of my chest." The plant type collapsed into a tired heap at the base of a tree. Body heavy with exhaustion, Green created a circle of fire as a precautionary measure and curled next to Red.

The two drifted to sleep.

* * *

Waking up to darkness, Red shifted, trying to throw the searing pain off and sink back to slumber. However, the weight and pain persisted, penetrating the sweet fog of sleep. He sidled away and the burning sting followed him. Clawing the vestiges of an all-consuming tiredness away, Red opened his eyes to see Green leaning on him. A barrier of scorched grass lay around them and Ivysaur suspected the dragon. Fatigued despite the dreamless sleep, he looked around and noted the suspicious lack of carnivorous plants. In front of him, the trees and branches knotted to form a sort of a pavilion and the tunnel led to a larger space. Swiveling, Red found nothing else and smiled at his conclusions; the entire forest functioned as Lasich's dungeon, so they cleared one part of it already. His smile quickly turned into a frown when he recalled a fundamental rule when traversing the dungeons.

The trial marker poem. Layla's admonitions echoed back to him, but the worry, like a blow to his side, gradually subsided. Surely they could back track and search for it again?

Yes, he agreed, as soon as he refreshed himself with another nap, he would wake up and search for the poem.

He would have slept forever if it were not for the ominous tremble of the earth; a barely perceptible throb morphed into a full blown quake. Startled out of their slumber by teeth rattling in their skulls, Green and Red sprang to their feet, cautious for an enemy attack. To their relief, no potentially hostile monsters waited for them and the earthquake continued for another minute before stilling. Rooted to the ground, Ivysaur recalled his vines from beneath the earth and waited. In Gehenna, he taught himself to expect every and anything, alas, even with the expectation of bizarre happenings, the shock rendered, did not dip in the slightest. When he confirmed the coast clear, Red pointed to the coppice, completely forgetting about the trial marker poem.

Actually, he thought about it, but convinced his mind to bring it up later.

Later.

Why did everything depend on later? The urgency required in the face of danger, deserted them. Green threw the trees a customary look and hunkered, preparing for sleep, however, Red nudged him into a thicket and together they stumbled, falling over their limbs. The pavilion continued for a while and Ivysaur, mind addled by sleep, hardly noticed when the floor turned from leaf littered soil to compacted, smooth earth. Beyond the copse, the area branched out into another forest of sable barks and they stupidly looked around. Oak, tail swinging when he spied a comfortable hollow near a cluster of low growing bushes, gave chase, delighted to find a resting place. Red protested but the words quickly died in his throat and he crashed to the floor. Was it possible to be this lethargic? He wondered and buckled under the great weight of sleep.

"I'm tired," Green mumbled and rolled into a ball. He gripped a discarded log tenderly and settled to sleep.

To rest for eternity.

Charmeleon's statement shook Ivysaur out of his slumber. "Green, no!" Red howled and tackled the dragonoid. "We can't fall asleep here," he exclaimed, torpid voice failing to convey appropriate panic. "Do not sleep; we need to keep moving forward no matter how difficult it is." Oak seethed and fire cloaked his jaws when Red crawled into the hollow and grinned sleepily.

"Then why are you climbing in here?" Charmeleon hissed. "Get out and let's get moving," he barked.

The hollow Red settled in, grew warm and comfortable. "I'm going; I just wanted to rest for a second."

A second turned into a minute.

Three hours later, they still did not move.

"Are you done meditating?" Green asked, his words slurring into each other. "We've been rotting in this dungeon for four hours now." He pointed to his hide, mildly disturbed by the mildew. "See, I have a fungus growing on me." Red found a mushroom patch on his body and after several attempts, he pulled out of the hollow, imparted a last, longing look at it and with Oak in a tow, settled off to the great unknown. Mere walking proved to be a painful process and Ivysaur consciously put one foot in front of the other, teaching himself how to walk. He slogged till the top of his head bumped against something furry, bouncy and large. Craning, he vaguely missed the presence of Green (the dragon crawled across the dungeon floor on all fours) and looked up to receive a face full of dark teal fur. Deep in the plant type's semi-functioning brain, he recalled the monster as a snorlax.

"Snorlax...Hah." Red giggled and shunted backwards. "Snorlax the snoring pokemon," he repeated and wound vines around its massive arm. "Hey, Green, I found a nice bed." Ivysaur said as his friend slumped against the dungeon monster. "Its belly is better than the floor don't you think?"

Charmeleon shook his head, diffusing the cloud of confusion. "I'm pretty sure we are supposed to fight this thing but...A nap sounds nice." He smiled crookedly. A blur crossed his vision, he noted Red's vines tear and he flew across the air, smacking his head on a branch. "Are you okay?" Green asked; snorlax shifted and Oak was not happy to have his bed running around. "Here, have an Oran berry." Charmeleon held the fruit on an outstretched palm but did not move from his place. Several meters away, Red groaned feebly and waved his vines. "Huh? You better speak up, I can't hear-" A scraping of nails against hard packed earth was the only warning before Charmeleon torpedoed into the branches of a high tree. A skeleton of brushwood skewered his ribs and he spat blood. A spray of vermillion dotted the boughs.

Mind straining to piece the events before him, Red struggled to move his legs when Snorlax thudded heavily, closing the distance between them. A fist smashed into the base of the tree in which Green hung Ivysaur sent out a tendril, in hopes of slowing down the monster, instead, he lay there, desperately trying not to fall asleep.

So heavy, so weary.

A thunderous crack splintered the dry bark and Green's pathetic whimpering prompted Red to scrabble inside his miraculously intact satchel. He did not know what he searched for but his vines brushed against the smooth surface of an orb and he stared at it in bewilderment. The sphere gathered light and pulled them inside. A disappointed growl followed Red as he vanished.

They materialized on a crest of hills sweeping downwards to nestle Treasure Town. Giddy with relief, the duo flopped on the grass and gulped in a lungful of fresh air. The sky was painted a perfect shade of blue, like the shards of the escape orb littering Red's paws; the oppressive exhaustion left his body and the plant type flexed, surprised by the amount of energy he still possessed. Near him, Green shook angrily and steam escaped his nostrils. He paced in tight circles and scorched the grass. "Going in there, was a waste of time, effort and rations." Oak scathed, temper rising. "The next time we set foot into a dungeon, I want to know everything about it," he seethed, "even what the trial master has for lunch. Do you understand?" Green spared an infuriated glance at his best friend. "I'm not going in hopes of an adventure; this trial felt less like an adventure and more like a death trap from hell!" The dragonoid considered the irony of his words. "I could not think straight...I couldn't even walk properly." Oak threw his hands up in the air, disgusted.

"Hmm..." Red agreed, "I taught myself how to put one foot in front of the other." Ivysaur snatched a wilted leaf off his back and chewed on it, the scent of lemon-grass filled his mouth. "But at least we experienced the horrors of the dungeon first hand, no book will ever be able to describe the feeling of your mind and body unraveling. Sloth..." he continued, "is the embodiment of laziness, I wanted to sit down and nap, even when flesh eating plants danced a sacrificial jig around us." Green rumbled throatily at Red's words, glad to have another shot at life. "I guess we must thank Arceus for keeping us alive." The seed pokemon paused. "But we are in the afterworld, in Giratina's realm, so we have to pray to him? Or rather, who should we turn to?"

Drained by Red's philosophical questions, Green snapped, "I don't care who you supplicate to, get your butt moving and afterwards go to work, I hardly have enough money to support us through another dungeon crawl and I'm sure your superior is not pleased." He smirked slyly when Red stiffened. Calmly spitting his chewed wad of lemon-grass, Ivysaur and Charmeleon began the long trek back to the hamlet.

Evening

Gehenna

Treasure Town

It became a custom to pay respects to the stained glass before entering the great cathedral. The feeling of twenty three pairs of eyes judging you for sins you cannot remember, was not a pleasant one, but Red's eyes lingered on the panes, trailing over Arceus' golden wheel, dipping over armor plates and finally resting at the mouth piece covering Giratina's jaws. The church door opened with a melodious sigh and two pokemon tumbled out; tiny and afraid. Ivysaur tasted fear radiating from the zorua and his gaze snapped to tepig gawking at everything with eyes shining in wonder. The sight of the piglet stirred Red and a familiar face bloomed in his mind.

"Black?" he choked, voice cracking. "Black...Is that you?" Tepig regarded him disinterestedly and bounded off, chasing an unfortunate combee and setting sandwich wrappers on fire. "Oh." Feeling foolish, Red whipped around; the dragon jerked his head at the disappearing tepig and queried:

"Who's Black?"

Rather than explaining the gut feeling, Ivysaur shrugged and crawled for home, pausing on the way to snatch food from the guild's eating hall. When they re-emerged on the street, Green hissed threateningly and clutched the parcel closer to his chest. When the residential area came into view, Green bared his teeth and hissed again; embers skittered on the path. The moment Red opted to question him, the dragonoid chucked the brown paper bag in his companion's tendrils, pivoted around and swiped, catching a trembling zorua by its ruff of fur. The tricky fox squealed in pain and stumbled to the ground, not bothering to turn tail even when Green's menacing shadow loomed over it. And before Charmeleon tore zorua into ribbons, Red stepped in and offered the obviously starved monster a bundle of cookies. Zorua hauled to its feet, quivered some more and accepted the bundle, tail wagging graciously. "Thank you…commander Red." The beast anxiously waited, wide eyed and fur puffed.

Ivysaur grinned. "No problem, I bet you are new here?" Zorua furiously nodded. "If so, you might get…wait, what did you call me?" Red asked and lowered his head, bewildered by the title attached to his name; Green stopped raking his claws over a piece of slate and trained his predatory gaze on the nervous fox.

Zorua's tail wagged into a blur. "Commander Red," he articulated clearly, "you are Red…right?" He panted, "since you recognized Black and I'm N, remember me?"

Green clamped his claws around zorua's neck and dangled him in the air. "No," he growled and shared a glance with Red. "We don't know anyone named N."

* * *

A group of monsters sat around a table creaking under the load of food and drinks. Guild master Wigglytuff and Melody watched two starved new comers eagerly gobbling the food. Timid zorua buried its snout in a bowl of berries and ate, keeping spillage to a minimum. In contrast, tepig devoured everything, often choking on a ball of food and here, Red, stone faced, forced a tankard of water down its mouth. The piglet sneezed an ember and annoyed, Green swatted the flames away. Soft merriment floated from other pokemon, but the table they sat at, remained quiet save for the occasional snort and clunking of cutlery. Zorua introduced himself as a human named N and both Red and Green showed interesting expressions, they concentrated hard on zorua's face and eventually gave up. As for the Tepig, Wiggly learned his name was Black and unfortunately, he lost all of his memories.

He was more monster than human.

The evolved plant and fire duo rose amidst the squeaking of wooden stools and Red lingered, contorting vines betraying anxiety. "Wiggly, can't they," he pointed to Zorua and Tepig, "stay with us? Layla's room is vacant and-" The guild master shook his head and dictated protocols. "I know, but I just...Feel responsible for them." Ivysaur's face stiffened. "You won't do any injustice to them will you?" Red growled and Gothitelle looked up in alarm; Wiggly raised his pudgy hand and swore an oath, holding Red's gaze till the latter backed down. "If you do anything to them, I'll tear you from limb to limb and I'll enjoy doing it." Ivysaur hoarsely threatened and marched out after grabbing a donut placed on Wiggly's tray. The guild master merely sighed and an ache resonated deep inside his bones. Red's threat hung in the air and combined with Green's tail thrashing, the entire eating hall grew silent and unbearably hot. N, standing on the stool, quivered violently, he would never forget the cruel streak his former commanders possessed.

"Well, now that you have eaten your fill, I'll show you to your sleeping places." Wigglytuff beckoned. "Come Black, time to stop stuffing yourself." The fire pig blathered indignantly but jumped to the floor whilst the guild master rested heavily on his staff.

"I will show them their places," Melody floated to her feet, "you go and get some rest." Thanking her, Wigglytuff dragged himself away. Gothitelle turned towards the smiling duo and without speaking; she directed them to the tailored lofts in the third floor. Black, delighted by the rivers of lava, wasted no time and jumped right in. A splash of liquefied rock soared through the air and plopped against the sandy terrain adjacent to it. Within minutes, he snored happily. On the other hand, N stood in front of Melody and thanked her profusely for taking them in. "No, you do not have to thank me, it is my job to make your stay in Gehenna less painful. Get some sleep now and tomorrow, the guild master will explain everything to you and hopefully your acquaintances will show you around town." Melody did not wait to find out how much of her words penetrated N's skull, but judging by the intoxicated shine in his slate eyes, she suspected he might have heard only a few words at best. "Goodnight," the psychic greeted crisply and teleported, leaving a forlorn fox in her wake.

Midnight

Guild

Fourth floor

Black, rousing from a bed of rocks, sniffed the air hungrily. Silver moonlight speckled the floor and the presence of other monsters dampened his loneliness. The faint sound of a floor board creaking beneath a weight snared his attention and he pricked his ears. A delicious aroma of warm bread sprung him out of bed and he careered, propelled by his growling stomach. The guild master waited for him outside the dormitory, clutching his staff and a steaming loaf of bread; the emblem hanging around his neck, glowed in the dismal light. Wiggly smiled gently and held out the loaf. "You must be hungry," he intoned and Tepig nodded vigorously. "Ah, I understand, would you like some milk and berries?" Snout littered with bread crumbs, Black replied eagerly. "Well, that settles it then, midnight snacks are the best, don't you think?" The guild master's eyes crinkled in delight and he pressed a hand on his lips when Tepig jumped. "Shh now, no loud noises, you don't want anyone ruining our little party, right? In any case, follow me." Black bounced behind the master and wondered why they went up; the eating hall was on the second floor. Shrugging, he tailed Wiggly to the fifth floor and the guild master laboriously marched to a book case filled with tomes. Effortlessly, he slid the heavy shelf aside and revealed a dank tunnel leading into darkness. "Don't be afraid," Wiggly assured and slammed his staff against Tepig's head, "this is where I keep my favorite things." Grunting, he picked the stone cold tepig and descended in the basement.

The brackets inside the airless cellar shimmered to life and Wigglytuff placed Black on a circular dais etched with symbols of the Unown. Silver chains cuffed the unconscious pokemon and the shadows lining the crypt, convulsed as one and pooled together to form Darkrai, eye glimmering and bright. "I thought I had to kill you," the nightmare offshoot announced silkily. "I'm happy we can still remain good friends." The legendary orbited around Wigglytuff and the guild master imagined the dark type smiling underneath its crimson collar of jaws. "Sacrifice it," Darkrai ordered softly and floated. "Do it quickly, Lord Giratina grows impatient."

Discarding his staff, which fell in an unnaturally loud clatter, Wigglytuff lifted his fist, he did not need a tool to bash tepig's skull open. A split second before his fist connected and Black's deep orange blood perfused the altar, the fire type woke up and groggily pulled the chains.

 _I'm sorry._ Wiggly whispered when terror flared in Tepig's eyes.

 _Please forgive me._ He prayed.

* * *

 **A/N:** This heat is killing me. Anyway, next chapter people, please read and review and tell me what you think. And you get to meet old friends. At Jack54311: Watching a character die from a reader's point of view is really sad, but writing a death is suspenseful. There is always the question of what happens then. Also, I'm sorry to say that things won't really happen with Emolga, but you get two new characters to contend with :)


	19. Pinnacle of power

**Pinnacle of power**

As long as he remembered, the little clearing in Pinwheel forest had been his home.

A carpet of grass depressed beneath a scraggly child. Off white rags covered bones jutting against skin but N wore a serene smile. Morning skimmed over treetops, thick shafts of light penetrated the canopy and caressed his face. A grey fox impatiently waited for the human to wake and when the green haired child mumbled and turned on his back, zorua tackled him playfully. Rubbing his eyes from the rude awakening, N stumbled to the communal watering hole and drank like any other pokemon. The sun climbed and with a dribble of water running down the corner of his mouth, he giggled, argued with his friends and ran off in search of food.

Life continued in unbridled delight however, a deep unease expanded in his chest, intensifying at inexplicable times. Like now. Clad in a pair of ill-fitting shorts that zorua dug from the outskirts of the nearby Nacrene City, N burrowed under his friends, enduring darmanitan's hot breaths blasting on his pale neck. The cave smelled of sweet earth and fat raindrops cascaded down the mouth, splashing the entrance. Pitter patter, the never ending sound grated his ears and he shifted, making himself comfortable. The sense of unease clawed in the back of his throat and he often asked himself, where was he from? Why was he here? And most importantly, when would he grow the courage to venture out to the open world and meet more creatures like him? His head pounded and before sleep eluded him in place of unwanted daydreams, N buried between warm bodies and slept.

The next morning, he scrambled out of the cave, eager to leave muddy footprints all over the forest. N grew recently and zorua was not happy with the way its friend stretched towards the sky. The two splashed in mud and the cool, liquid soil pulled N's mind away from cumbersome thoughts. His stomach growled and clutching his belly, the boy ducked through the trees and raced with zorua; branches whipped bare arms and legs, but the cuts were superficial compared to the joy of free living. Insects buzzed angrily, admonishing the human for its slovenly behavior; N stopped dead in his tracks, located the furious vespiquen and a wide smile laced his lips. Weaving a makeshift basket with large leaves from a nearby bush, he ambled towards the combee hive and pleaded for honey. The bee droned and he begged, "Please. I haven't eaten honey in a few days and its summer. Summer is all about honey! I promise to bring flowers the next time I visit." Vespiquen stared at the human and after articulating another vicious buzz, it vanished inside its elaborate hive. "Thank you very much!" N bowed when an order of combee deposited a sizable chunk of raw honeycomb in his basket. "I won't forget the flowers," he stated, waved and waddled back to the clearing.

One day later, he received a surprise. A couple of people, much like himself, paraded in the glade. They wore weird things and carried stranger contraptions. Curious, N skirted the camp, tripped over a thin wire and fell headfirst in front of the investigators. The entire group collectively jumped before regarding him with guarded gazes. Frightened, he ran away, deep into the thickets and back to the comforting wrap of his darmanitan's oversized arms. From then, those people came every single day and N listened to their thick, heavy words and queer phrases. He understood very little. The men, wearing starched white coats and clear masks grew bolder and stayed the night; and the pokemon were not happy. When dusk fell, a chorus of outraged buzzes and warning growls peppered the plantation. Monsters warned humans back to their settlements but the latter would not. The humans talked incessantly about research, they studied plants and tended to wounded pokemon.

N did not understand why the beasts and insects of Pinwheel Forest wanted those men to leave.

He did his best to lay low, but the thought of interacting with creatures of his kind, excited him immensely. Keeping to the edge of the camp, the child darted inside the tents when it emptied of people. He stole food and clothing, sometimes the odd contraption too, as zorua found them amusing. Knees sinking into a soft carpet, he bent over a metallic trunk, nose wrinkling at a stench like no other. Tossing bottles of colored fluid aside, N resumed his ransacking when the tent's cloth flap parted for a man. Whipping around, terror flared in the child's eyes and he crouched, making himself small. The stranger sported a mane of leaf colored hair and an eye patch marred his face. Hissing, N crawled around the fabric wall and inched towards the entrance, so far, the man did nothing. As he bolted to freedom, a pair of strong arms enclosed him and N screamed. The man laughed, patted the boy's greasy locks and when N calmed down, offered him a cup of honey sweetened tea.

The scalding liquid warmed him to his very core and N drowned in the kind twinkle of the scientist's scarlet eyes.

Years passed and his new father reared him in the lap of luxury. The family around N hailed him as a king and dedicated an entire section of the castle to his whims. Because Ghetsis forbade him to interact with other people, lest their ill intentions cause his son undue harm, N devoted an enormous room to his toys, pokemon and games. Zorua and Darmanitan accompanied him to his new life and often played with his things, gashing the toys and alabaster walls. Private tutors trained him in the arts of science, math and languages. N quickly picked up an affinity for complex mathematical formulas and his new pastime included poring over a puzzle cube and defining everything around him into neat, well understood formulas. There was the good, who considered pokemon as their equal and the bad, who treated their pokemon partners as slaves, using them to further bloodlust and love of violent battles. Being the only one capable of hearing their desperate pleas, N spent long amounts of time in the infirmary with the abused pokemon and silently shed tears on their behalf.

His picture perfect world of algorithms and ideals splintered into fragments when he uncovered his father's...No, Ghetsis' ultimate plot. The universe reeled around him and he spent many nights awake, long fingers scrabbling on his Puzzle cube and wondering what went wrong.

What went wrong.

What...

 _Monster._

 _Freak._

 _Puppet._

Shutting his eyes at the physical pain fluttering in his stomach each time he recalled those spiteful words, N strapped the cube on his pants. The pieces did not line up. He eyed his cramped, secret base and smiled at zorua. The fox stared at him and resumed its play-fight with archen. Lurching towards the fridge, N tipped a cool bottle of mineral water towards his lips and instantaneously, his ears bore witness to a deafening, terrified scream. Tossing the bottle on the table, he summoned archen. Blinding sunlight greeted him along with the bizarre view of a teenager plummeting from one of the mountain faces whilst a galvantula, mounted on a braviary, gave chase. Another speck flew behind the free-falling person and repeatedly called his name, the words echoed, mingling with the horrific screeching. Instinctively, N rescued the teenager. And from there, his life took another drastic turn.

Three commanders, Red, Blue and Green reclined before him in plush couches. The trio intimidated N but the one with spiky hair, jade eyes and an arrogant sneer, scared him the most. No sympathy swirled on his face and he dictated with calm rationality. N envied him. The way Green carried out his duties with ruthless abandon combined with strategy. Totally in contrast to him was Red, who pinned his achievements on fiery passion. N admired the fire in the man's scarlet eyes. An all-consuming fire which eventually burned what little rationality he possessed. Between these two men stood Black. Ambitious, studious Black. A blend of exasperating and fierce determination, the coal haired teenager was the very model of what N categorized as good.

But N did not know what was 'good' anymore.

Staying in the Organization taught him responsibility and the fruitlessness of ideals. There was only truth. Often times, he clutched his ears and squatted, back flush against the metallic door leading to the legendary pokemon holding cell. Warped wails bled from underneath the gate and he listened while tears streaked down his face. N understood they wanted freedom, he understood when Ho-oh and Lugia threatened with the destruction of the world, but he was powerless to help. To do something. The Dex Criminals were no better than Team Plasma, but in between Green's harsh words, Black's hollering and the general chaos of Execution, N found a semblance of peace, purpose and an unforgettable friend. Zekrom, condensed into a leaden sphere of smooth, charcoal stone, offered him friendship. A companionship he could not describe. Wiping the tears clinging to his cheeks, he got up from his crumpled position, massaging his numb legs. Cradling the stone securely against his chest, N limped for bed. The night was almost over.

Fear. The large screen and speakers announced Team Plasma's return in high definition clarity. N's heart pumped furiously. He gasped for air. After months laying low, he believed Team Plasma died for good. The ship anchored in Undella bay, served as a constant reminder but his friends dampened the threat, providing a veneer of comfort. N felt far away from danger and now his hands turned ice cold and sweaty as the Plasma castle erupted from underground, like a sinister creature rousing from sleep. He gripped the edge of the couch, see-sawing between disbelief and paralyzing fear. This was not real; he lied to himself. Alas, Commander Red called for an emergency meeting. Sitting on the bed, N fiddled with his Puzzle cube, delving into the sensible world of numbers and formulas; he barely heard what Red said, something about daring not to escape. N suppressed a shudder, with the events unfolding before him; escape was the last thing on his mind.

Sweat beaded his face and N gasped when fire hosed the league, his team mates and commander never failed to astonish him. Standing on the Plasma ship's soiled deck; he clutched the railing like a lifeline. The ship began its jarring descent to the ground and droplets evaporated in the smoky, orange night sky. Flames engulfed buildings, searchlights pierced through a haze and sirens screeched in the air. Team Plasma's headquarters, crawling with hostile pokemon and people, surrounded the Unova Pokemon League. N gripped the railings tighter, the familiar combination of anxiety and fear, rooted in his stomach when he spied the seven sages standing guard on key towers. They smiled deviously, faces haughty and unapologetic. They did not want a better world, N dully concluded, they only wanted power to tip in their favor. Resolve dissolving the restless flittering in his stomach, N swept his bangs aside and checked his surroundings. His team mates waged a verbal war; Black grabbed a fistful of Red's shirt and shoved the commander against the railing. Nothing new. Seizing the chance, N hopped over the palings. A fierce howl echoed behind him and he shuddered, an angry commander Red was not a pleasant person. Without looking back, N zigzagged across the debris strewn field, ducking when a searchlight groped near him. As he drew closer to the gates, Black joined him and with Aerodactyl screaming behind them, the duo crashed in the partially crumbled halls and navigated to the very heart of the frozen prison.

His last day on the Poke-earth proved to be rewarding. At least he hoped so; N's memory failed after witnessing Black's demise. In the middle of the Plasma Castle, he found his father...No Ghetsis sitting pompously on a throne. Kyurem, furious and fettered, strained against the rime coated chains and roared. A battle between Reshiram and Kyurem took place and before his wide, wide eyes, a thick spear of ice penetrated the vast white dragon's rib, killing it slowly and Black, smiling so purely, voluntarily went with his dragon. The next few moments were fuzzy, did he cry? Did White cry? Did she scream? A foreboding sensation gripped him, the mask of death. Funnily enough, N accepted it whole heartedly, however, a tiny regret blossomed inside of him and grew in intensity when White begged him not to die.

Grasping her by the shoulders, N remembered seeing her face scrunched up; tears ran rivulets down her cheeks, but she looked so beautiful and he could not help but blurt the words both he and Black harbored.

"I love you," N simply confessed, hoping he could convey the sincerity of his emotions with his voice.

 _We loved you._

A spray of red blood announced the termination of N's life. Four shadowy hands dragged him into a golden, living sarcophagus. A fitting end to the former King of Team Plasma.

When N woke to the eonian sunset of Gehenna's Beach of Evocation, he spied a lone figure sitting on the sand and gazing at the timeless sea. The hypnotizing movements of the waves ensnared his attention, a gilded cage clamping on his thoughts. Struggling, he stared at the still Tepig. From the jumbled puzzle pieces making up his current conscious, N extracted memories, indistinct pictures sharpened and in an overwhelming, mind numbing moment, he saw his life and the people who weaved in and out of it. After what seemed like an eternity, Tepig swiveled to him and N froze.

Nothing. The piglet's clear, coal irises, shone with no recognition.

* * *

Morning

Guild

Third floor

A black sphere of stone lay temptingly out of reach and N strained to brush his fingers against it. A deep crack ran though the circumference and he choked back a sob. No matter how many times he called, Zekrom would never materialize again. N shrunk when Ghetsis loomed above him and he tensed for a verbal assault. Instead of words, the man raised his staff and whacked N across his face. The adolescent blinked confusedly, mind temporarily numbed by his father's actions. After the split second confusion, he clutched his throbbing side and inhaled. Team Plasma's leader struck him again and N bit down a cry when the metallic rod thwacked against his wrist. The square bangles adorning his pale arm jingled in place of a scream and he sniffed. Two crimson irises glowed in the darkened corner behind Ghetsis and the umbrae beneath his robed body shifted. A golden sarcophagus glinted in muted light and N raised his arms, shielding himself from cofagrigus' nightmares. Four shadowy limbs enveloped him and soon, a wrap of black bandages rendered N immobile. Helpless and screaming, N watched the lid slide aside and cofagrigus pulled him closer.

Everything grew cold, wet and uncomfortably soggy. N sputtered in the face of a hopping magikarp. "You were screaming and jerking in your sleep," The fish explained. "I tried tail slapping but you wouldn't come to, so I splashed you." N shook water out of his sodden fur. "You better come down for breakfast; I hear the guild master will be starting classes." Magikarp painstakingly hopped away and N spared a moment thanking Reshiram for limbs. Nightmare a distant memory, he scanned the lofts. Failing to see Tepig snoring on a boulder, N poked through the crevices. Nothing. The fire bed remained quiet and only the pop of lava punctured the silence. Frowning, N jumped on the ground, suffered a mildly sprained ankle and hobbled off in search of his friend.

A torrent of pokemon milled in the guild's corridors and overwhelmed, Zorua bounced against scarred hide and pockmarked exoskeletons. Towering insects snapped pincers and pokemon grouped together, a defining symbol setting them apart. Trotting to the first floor, N weaved through beasts and acutely sensed their judging eyes on him. Little by little, he noticed how the pokemon moved, purpose apparent in their expressions. As N tried to reach the huge doors, a ragtag bunch encircled him and demanded he put on a show to assert his supremacy. Zorua wasted no time in earning their respect and turned, hoping to catch a glimpse of Black's vacuous mien. Instead, he got a face full of an open mouthed hippowdon and N tasted the ground type's fetid breath. A deadly arc of lightning scored a new scar on the hippo's back and the flash reminded him of a certain, sarcastic pikachu. Hippowdon backed down and snarled threats. A bigger howl overshadowed all other animalistic sounds and bit by bit, the foyer calmed. Pokemon, quickly losing interest in the new comer, mumbled under their breaths and the tricky fox ambled to the back of the guild. There, he met a disgruntled Manectric with a pair of skew spectacles and a tattoo covered tail. The electric type fixed his glasses with a paw and professionally welcomed N to the guild.

However, Zorua was not in the mood for pleasantries and after Manectric exhausted his welcome, N launched into a question. "Have you seen a Tepig wondering here somewhere?" he asked.

"...I'm afraid not," Manectric answered. "Although, with all these pokemon clogging the vestibule both night and day, it is easy to miss a smaller fire type, why don't you try looking in the upper floors? If you can't find him then, come back and I'll see what I can do." N's stubby tail vibrated into a grey blur. Climbing to the second floor exhausted him and his stomach demanded food. Quashing his hunger, N crept past the eating hall, sniffed greedily and promised himself a buffet after he found Black. A training hall, corners heaped with broken cushions and stools, lay opposite the eating area and seeing it empty, Zorua ascended, bypassing the third floor and stumbling to the fourth. Chest heaving, he laid on the landing to catch his breath.

A short hallway branched off to the fifth floor and a large area cordoned by a chain link shutter. Peering between the links, N saw a luxurious lounge and three or four rooms, he could not tell. A thick lock secured the gate and Zorua grinded his teeth against it, filling his mouth with the taste of metal. When the lock refused to yield, he studied the shutter. Frustration puffing his fur, he pranced to the last floor of the guild and a stone dropped into his stomach when the archive opened in front of him. Books sat patiently on thick, oak shelves but not a soul walked the carpet. Forlorn and hunger coiling in the pit of his stomach, N trudged back to the eating hall.

The moment he entered, a buneary, balancing a tray with food, tripped over him and the tray soared through the air. Milk and colored berries arced like a rainbow and every head spun to view the commotion. The previous frustration, tension and now, humiliation, caused a ball of shadows to gather at N's feet and the energy pulsed outwards. Bodies thudded to the ground and saliva dribbled freely. As the dark pulse dissipated, Zorua shivered, he garnered evil eyes from the toughest pokemon and their bared claws were not friendly. Scuttling away from the entrance, he retched and vomited dark matter on the floor. A buneary grumbled and ordered everyone to evacuate. Thankfully, they left him alone and N slumped against a wall, sparks of sable energy coiled around his fur and he wanted the phenomenon to stop.

Following the commotion, an Umbreon entered, ears pricked for rule-breakers. "What happened here?" Tamen's question scythed through the air and N flinched. "I sensed a vast amount of dark energy and this is?" A lopunny pointed to a quivering mess in the corner and body rings flashing cyan, Umbreon sniffed N critically. "You have absolutely no control of your powers," Tamen disdainfully said and N stared at the silver cuffs encircling the cat's feet. "Give him food," Umbreon ordered and turned to Zorua, "and after you eat your fill, visit Wigglytuff, he will help you." The dark beast teleported before N could ask about Black. A buneary deposited a fresh tray of food in front of N and he munched through a salad of berries, fragrant leaves and nuts. This was followed by slices of bread and he moaned in relish whilst polishing off a dish of jam.

Belly full, N's thoughts turned to pressing matters, namely, his best friend's whereabouts. Trotting to the training room, he watched a horde of pokemon doing circuits around the chamber. Bowing out of the room, N enquired about Wigglytuff and a grimer informed him that the guild master currently pored over notes on the fourth floor. N bolted, desperate to meet the guild master before he vanished somewhere else.

"Where is Black?" Wigglytuff blinked at the sudden question and Zorua's tail wagged anxiously. "I woke up this morning and searched through the entire guild, I...I can't find him." N's tone vacillated but he remained firm and stared unblinkingly at the guild master.

Throwing a last glance at a pamphlet, Wiggly folded the parchment and hid it. "I'm sorry; I haven't seen your friend," he smiled and replied. "Black is a restless soul so perhaps he went on a tour of the town?" The guild master contemplated. "I have to train newcomers and Manectric forked a load paperwork to me so I am really busy." Wigglytuff crossed the carpet and ducked into his room. Sucked out of energy, N collapsed and wallowed in self-pity. After spending years locked in a coffin and having his energy and fluids drained, he wakes up to a nightmare and the only thing anchoring him to his sanity, disappears without a trace. True, Black could be anywhere in the vast community of Treasure Town, but even worse, he could be lost, trampled or…killed. The staircase thumped and a forest of leaves popped in N's vision before revealing Ivysaur wearing a self-assured grin. Behind him, Charmeleon skulked, dragging wicked claws on a tablet of stone. Green and Red sauntered in the private living quarters like they owned the place and N wasted no time in filling them in:

"Black is missing."

Red's information processing prowess doubled when Wiggly sidled out of his garishly painted room. The miniature forest on his back quivered he spilled acid. A dozen vines clamped the guild master's inflated limbs whilst the rest drilled into the wall beside him. "Where. Is. Black?" Red demanded through clenched teeth. "Where is Black and what did you do to him?!" The plant type roared and screwed his tendrils further into Wigglytuff's flesh; N trembled at the violent display and helplessly peeked at Green. Charmeleon calmly raged and flames flickered in his palms. Ensnared, the guild master simply shrugged and reiterated his previous words but Red did not accept the explanation. "I finally wake up to some new purpose in this Arceus forsaken land and you took it all away from me!" Ivysaur howled and outside, the sun shone painfully. "You murderer," Red hissed and retracted his vines, dripping with pale pink blood.

Murderer...The word spun in N's head.

 _Black's murderer_

A throbbing pain filled his cranium and he ruptured at the seams. A fizz of black energy emanated from N and Green, standing next to him rotated to the convulsing fox. Window panes rattled, light fixates combusted and rained glass on Wiggly's head. Alarmed, Red backed away, wary of the umbrae covering Zorua. A shadow limb poked out and the shroud of darkness collapsed, revealing an incensed Darkrai drifting towards Wigglytuff who remained steel faced and tacked on the wall. Red quaked eyes trailing on the residual smoke, he often spotted a similar trail around him and wracked his brains, trying to figure out implications. Darkrai thrust a pointy limb under Wigglytuff's chin and instead of showing the slightest scintilla of fear, he laughed, body wobbling in mirth. Forming a fist, Wiggly struck Darkrai square on the collar of red teeth and the legendary flew sideways, bashing against a wall with a terrified scream. "After dealing with the horrors of the real thing, a mere illusion will not faze me," The guild master announced and wiped his fist. Darkrai faded back into an unconscious N. "Your body control is sporadic, but you have out done yourself, that was a remarkable illusion," Wiggly praised and faced the other two. "I don't know where Black went." he announced and Red's vines snapped threateningly. "If you want to find him so badly, I suggest you go through Gehenna using a fine toothed comb. His soul is restless." Clutching a book, the guild master waddled down the stairs; the seared tattoo on its back, burned stronger than ever.

Afternoon

Gehenna

Treasure Town

Manufacturing a makeshift basket from the leaves on Red's back, Green slung N behind him and prodded a fuming Red. Time to go on a tepig hunt. "Where do we start looking?" Charmeleon asked. "For all we know, he could be anywhere." Another thought popped in his mind. "And how do we know for sure that Tepig is indeed Black? According to this kid here," he swung N meaningfully, "Black has no memories and when they woke up, he couldn't recall his name." Green's words fell on deaf ears and Red vehemently chewed on chamomile stems, his entire back blooming into white blossoms. Spiting crushed matter out, he lurched to the stairwell, an ingenious gleam shining in scarlet irises. A foreboding feeling settled in Green's stomach and he shook his head, Red's sagely bouts of wisdom will the doom of them all.

Cutting a swathe through the bustling crowds in the vestibule, Ivysaur prowled to the jam-packed meeting hall. As the doors to the gargantuan chamber opened, a squeal of excited screams filtered through and mingled with the rowdy shouts in the foyer. Red side stepped several times, got smacked in the face by flailing limbs and crawled around the edge of the hall, hoping to catch Rooque's attention. Several fans shot him displeased looks but he continued sneaking. Rooque, coiled around a table with a polite smile screwed on his rocky face, noticed a disturbance inching closer to him. Senses flaring, he swung his massive head to the side, relaxing on seeing Red and Green. The plant type gesticulated frantically and excusing himself from a flirtatious swoobat, Steelix slithered past his adoring fans. One daring monster snagged a tail around his floating necklace and he rumbled a warning. Finally reaching the duo, Rooque winced at a tiny fox slung on Charmeleon's back, the poor thing must be burning.

"It's nice to see you two after a long time," Rooque greeted. His smile melted into a sorrowful frown. "I heard about Layla...I'm sorry," he apologized. The duo smiled bitterly. "So what's up? After I got melted by Bryst, I spent three weeks reforming and the rest of my time sitting around and doing absolutely nothing. Life's Good." For once, Red did not laugh at the iron snake's sarcastic jokes and in response, fired one of his own.

"Where is Melody?" he questioned. "We lost one of our friends and he could be anywhere in Gehenna.. _.if he is alive at all,"_ Red muttered under his breath. "We need help. She has a psychic link covering this place right? Therefore it's a simple matter of pinpointing down the location." Green blinked at his friend's sudden flash of insight, sometimes, Ivysaur surprised him.

A sigh escaped Rooque's gaping maw. "Mel's gone on a mission," he informed; and the vegetation on Red's back wilted, carpeting the floor. "She left early this morning to rescue someone trapped in Wrath." Ivysaur groaned sadly and Steelix offered, "How about I accompany you guys? I'm really tall and I could look out for the dude-"

"Thanks for the offer but your fans aren't happy about the prospect," Charmeleon interjected, irritated by a yanma's buzzing wings. "We'll search by ourselves and if we need help, we know who to ask." Grabbing his basket lest N fall out, Green turned tail and marched back to the foyer. He shouldered through the crowds and stopped at the receptionist's desk. Manectric offered the duo an indulgent smile and wagged his tail; he pushed a stack of papers, joining them with another mountain of documents and enquired if they needed something. "We're going on a mission; it's a request from Red," Green blandly responded and Ivysaur shared a bewildered look with the electric pokemon. "I want a payment of two thousand from him if we find a Tepig within Treasure Town and an additional fee of four thousand if we traverse the outskirts."

"Green! How could you?" Red protested. Manectric penned the payments and handed a receipt to Oak.

Charmeleon turned, a sardonic grin revealed gleaming canines. "You can pay me back _after_ you start working and judging by your face when you barreled out this morning, you are planning to adopt these two..." Green jerked a thumb to the peacefully snoring N. "I know we have some sort of connection to them, but I can't remember and they will have to earn my trust." Red wilted to the floor, trying his best to sway Charmeleon with a pout; unfortunately his expression had an opposite effect. "Get up from the floor; we are going on a mission." The proclamation watered Red and he sprang up and retrieved identification badges from Dialga knew where. Sticking the silver shield on Green's chest, Red hung his on an overhanging leaf and set off. Clenching his claws, Oak stalked after his best friend and glowered at anyone daring to smile.

* * *

N's view tilted, a pathway lined with cobblestones and the odd weed unfolded on the side and the sky, streaked with white clouds, hung over it. A flock of birds passed overhead and Zorua swayed, slithering off the makeshift basket. Head pounding and legs like jelly, N waited for the fire and plant duo to miss his absence, alas, they, too preoccupied by a petty argument about seviper fangs (N did now want to know) failed to notice and left Zorua in the dust, desperately hopping after them but failing to catch up. Finally, Charmeleon noticed the lack of a weight bearing down his back and twisted around, emerald irises roaming for the fox. He spotted N straggling a few meters behind them and waited for him to catch up. "Any idea where your friend might be?" Green queried and crossed his forelimbs, whilst Red offered the dizzy pokemon a sip of water.

Zorua gulped the water gratefully. "I don't know," he replied, "we only arrived here last night...Wherever 'here' is. The locals say it's Gehenna, rightful realm of Giratina and abode of the sinners...So does that mean I'm a...?" N broke off and gazed at the area. "It does not feel like Hell," he mumbled. "I thought," he inhaled, "I thought what I did was right."

Flowers and shrubs lining the sidewalk bowed in a violent gust of wind and N shivered when loose papers tumbled. "Despite the colorful facade, you can bet your soul that this realm is every bit as hellish as your imagination of hell." Green pointed to the north. "There lies a dungeon, full of water and ice and I almost died in there." His claw moved to the east. "Beyond the hills, you will find a desert that erupts geysers of fire. Our friend lost her life in there and she was one of the strongest fighters we know." Red nodded at the statement and the smile on his face faltered. "Unspoken rules govern this universe and as soon as we find Black, we'll explain them to you," Oak explained. "By the way, can you walk properly?"

Trailing behind the bigger beasts, Zorua lamented passing on Green's offer to carry him. The charmeleon confused N, at one moment, he is as calm as a clam and in a split second, he goes chasing after some dragon throwing a careless, competitive remark. On several occasions, Red forcibly restrained Oak. The crimson eyed commander lost a lot of his rash temper and in total contrast, Green flared at anything remotely offending his sensitive feelings. Resuming their argument once more, the pair heckled about the genetic makeup of ditto and N tuned out. Their chatter gave him a headache and he looked around, surprised by the almost human like settlement called Treasure Town. The trio ambled around sprawling streets and he saw high rise apartments decorated with shells or painted in eye watering colors. Single homes peppered the open areas whilst double and triple story condominiums clustered in corners. They searched every side and main street, peeked into darkened alleys and Red, justice flame burning bright, stomped over an ariados threatening a solrock. Ruffling his leaves importantly, Ivysaur flashed his badge in the offender's face and loped off.

There was no sign of Black in the residential area and N's spirit sank.

"Cheer up," Red beamed, "we still have the mart and the entire Town to cover, we will find him."

 _If he is not dead._

An unspoken thought passed between the two evolved beasts.

Late evening

Treasure Town

Park

After the Mart's general cacophony, the tranquil park greatly appealed to N. Tired and depressed, he refused to eat lunch and studied the world ponderously. A few meters away, Green and Red bent over a piece of wrinkly parchment and conversed in hushed tones. The quaint hamlet boggled Zorua's mind and it dumbfounded him that fellow monsters went about their daily lives when neighbors combusted on the street. Upon entering the Mart, N stood still, disorientated by the colors and numerous stalls offering everything from gummis (whatever those were) and pokemon skeleton cast offs. They visited Cinccino's market and he received a free welcoming gift from a simisear. The sight of a hawker cofagrigus almost rendered him unconscious but the coffin pokemon simply waved and repacked the stall when N tripped, sending items crashing in the narrow street. Perched on the postal tower, Castform predicted a sunny day and it contrasted oddly with N's turbulent mood. Head on his forepaws, he watched the fire and grass type settle for an arm waving match; Black eluded them and a tiny part of N wanted to give up altogether. Besides, Tepig could be anyone else.

The thought crushed him.

"Alright," Red and his best friend sauntered to the shade, "since we couldn't find Black in town, we'll be roaming the outskirts." N sagged further. "We'll start with the beach and make our way to the desert and then the frozen plains and finally the forest." Ivysaur shuddered at the monumental task.

Charmeleon bit into a shiny apple. "And you owe me more money."

This time, Zorua wholeheartedly agreed to Red's pick up offer. The sweet scent trailing off his body became horribly pungent when N nestled on his back and the trio headed east, slowly inclining upwards. A thin strip of forest separated Treasure Town from the Beach but due to pokemon passing for several centuries, a path led directly from the hypnotizing sea right into the town, complete with street signs for the new traveller. As soon as they stepped inside the forest, a canopy of leaves blotted the sun and it grew dark and quiet. The fire and grass duo tensed for unknown dangers and before long, Red's strides and pacifying aroma, lulled N to sleep. Ivysaur's vines prowled the forest floor, seeking the safest passage.

"Let's be a little realistic." Green hacked an overgrown branch and tossed it aside. "What if the guild master really killed the kid? The first time Wiggly dragged you into the basement, I barely saved you and he was feeling merciful. Did you see the smug look on Wigglytuff's face? We can't give Zorua false hope."

Red peered, judging by the light filtering from the trees, they were close to their destination. "If false hope persuades N not to burst in black flames, I'll feed him lies for the rest of my life." A dozen razor leaves cleared hanging boughs and a foreboding silence followed Red's statement. They stumbled on sand and Green blazed away to inspect a nearby crate. He tore the metallic lid off the container and clawed through the objects lying within. A beautiful brooch melted in overheated palms and Oak held a barnacle encrusted handgun. Not knowing what it did, he tossed it aside and dove into the trunk. A crown bounced off Red's face and a belt followed it. Clipped on the belt were five round capsules, rusted beyond color. Green's claws hooked around a fine chain and he yanked the piece of jewelry up. Two pieces of polished ovals, one set into the other, dangled at the end of the chain.

"That's your necklace." Zorua yawned and climbed down Ivysaur's back, landing in the sand. "Apparently it was a present from your grandfather." Oak turned the pendant over and placed it back in the container. "Aren't you going to keep it?" N questioned. "It was very special to you."

Green shut the trunk with a loud bang. "It holds no meaning for me anymore," he muttered. "And we have more important things to do than discussing my preferred piece of jewelry." N nodded and tottered backwards. Giant gates guarded the entrance to the beach and after selecting one, he sped through. A tiny flame of hope burned in his chest; maybe, just maybe, Black will be here.

And they finally found him.

Sitting on the beach and gazing mindlessly at the ocean's mesmerizing waves. Next to Black churned another presence. Darkrai. The careering trio halted in their tracks when the nightmare offshoot turned to glare at them. Unadulterated hate effused from the legendary and its single eye revolved to Red. Within a second, Darkrai dissipated, the wind whisked his remains away and free from the spell of paralyzing fear, N dashed to his friend whilst the bigger beasts contented to watch.

"Black!" Zorua called and ran with all his might. Tepig turned, a gleam of recognition danced in his eyes. But the tide receded and dull obscurity masked his irises once more.

* * *

 **A/N:** N is one of my favorite characters along with Diamond (spoilers: He doesn't make it here) Read and review and tell me what you think. Gratitude to all those who read this story, hopefully you find it entertaining. As usual, constructive criticism is welcome. At Jack54311: Black's alive (YAY), but since he's lost all his memories, is he truly Black?


	20. There is no wealth but life

**There is no wealth but life**

A rattata sunk oversized teeth in a hunk of moldy cheese. The trash can, hidden in a dank, narrow alley, spilled with food, some rotten, others fairly fresh. A boot, leather peeling off in patches, landed squarely on the rat's rump and sent it flying, twittering angrily, it slithered through a sewer grate. A girl, frayed cap pulled low, picked the discarded cheese and bit into it. When the pungent flavor failed to make her retch, she carefully stored it in a clean sheet of newspaper. A loaf, peeking from the bin's top pile of the dust bin, caught her eyes and smiling; she brushed off a swarm of durant and pocketed the bread in her trench coat. Whistling happily, Avaritia clunked out of the alley and pulled to one of the numerous sidewalks of Castelia city.

Grey smog covered the metropolitan, smoke stacks and high rise buildings broke the skyline and chugged soot. Tucking her chin inside an upturned collar, she marched, avoiding adults and dodging rushing workers. Nicking an apple from the fruit stand, she rubbed it on her filthy coat, munched on it and stalked home.

Home consisted of a shack cobbled together from sheets of cardboard, tin and large signboards. Avaritia and a ragtag group of hooligans glued the sheets together and whilst the boys moved off to find work or dabble in the art of thievery, she stayed behind to look after her siblings. The front door groaned open and the floor, planks of wood salvaged form the furniture shop, protested at any weight. Ducking under a plastic curtain serving as a partition, Avaritia braced for her two rowdy brothers. One sprung from his hiding place and tackled her whilst the other somersaulted off a bed, missed her scrawny shoulders by a mile and fell smack on the wall, knocking the flimsy board over. The three siblings collapsed on the floor, sharing a good laugh. Their mirth cut short when the youngest doubled over his growling stomach. Snatching the cheese and bread from the depths of her tattered pockets, Avaritia divided the food between the two of them and they fell like starving kids. Leaning back on pole, which managed to stay upright despite all the abuse, she polished off her apple and ignored the silent protesting of her own stomach.

There existed a time when the three of them woke in perfumed sheets with sunlight slanting through large windows and splattering on a velvet carpet. Breakfast consisted of whatever took their fancy and their clothes were made from the finest materials the region of Unova could afford. They stayed inside a brick and marble mansion and skipped over an immaculate lawn giving way to a huge garden boasting exotic trees. Fruit and cake were plentiful and so were visiting guests, dripped in elegant eveningwear. When their parents were too preoccupied with entertaining guests, Avaritia picked up her baby brother, a wee toddler, and led the other one by the hand; the three of them climbed their atavistic mansion's roof and gazed at the stars. Father bought a plot of land on the outskirts of Castelia City and if she squinted hard enough, Ava saw electric lights twinkling on the tallest buildings. The smog blanketing the city, did not reach their modest settlement.

A holiday in Driftveil, the mining town, got their spirits pumping and they packed leather suitcases full of clothes, books, toys and chewable items for the toddler. A wagon hitched to two handsome Zebrastika, carted the children to the humble hub town of Nimbasa, where the local circus attracted the region's populace during summer. Right now, the hamlet resembled a ghost town. The wagon clattered over a rickety bridge spanning between Nimbasa and Driftveil and Avaritia's youngest brother gripped her tightly, staining her frilled dress with Pecha berry juice. When the wagon finally reached Driftveil, they disembarked at the station where their portly uncle waited for them. By evening, they ate to their fill and like her two brothers; Avaritia went down to explore the mines, hitching her skirts to avoid being soiled with mud. Huge, clunky machines whirred on the excavation site and beasts, the likeness of which she never seen before, strained against iron collars, honing silver claws on the nearest pillar of rock. Her uncle showed her rare gems and metals, hidden with the bowels of the earth and whilst these uncut minerals were beautiful, once polished and faceted, they shone like the sun.

On the second day, Avaritia ate a tray of fancy cakes and daintily wiped her mouth with a lace handkerchief, then, she sipped tea while her brothers fought over the last slice of pie. The crafty toddler, smashed the pie and shoveled the mess inside the mouth and the older one observed with mute horror etched in his eyes. This horror was nothing compared to the expression he made when an official barged inside the room. Avaritia would never forget the color of the man's uniform, nor his curly moustache. "I'm terribly sorry to inform you…" the man bowed, eyes shifting to a spot slightly left of her face. "I regret to inform you of the untimely demise of your parents, as well as the burning down of your mansion." Politely coughing into a fist, the man handed a letter to their gaping aunt and excused himself. The three siblings exchanged disbelieving looks, waiting for someone to spring the joke. Unfortunately the joke was on them and within seconds of their parents' demise, they found themselves rudely pushed into the street and their uncle helplessly watched. He pressed a polished diamond in Avaritia's hand when they left Driftveil and she never thought of using it.

The diamond lay in an ornate box, buried under a mountain of junk. It was a symbol of kindness.

"Ava, don't we have anything else to eat?" The second eldest sibling clutched his stomach. "I'm still starving, can't I help you with work?" Refusing to crumble to his pleading, Ava steeled herself. She never told them that work entailed diving inside bins or stealing from the stalls and risk having fingers sliced off by the butcher. Instead, she shook her head and picked up the toddler, he immediately clamped his teeth on her filthy collar and gnawed. Outside, a small bathtub of murky water lay behind their shack and dipping a cloth, she tried to wipe the layers of grime coating her sibling's body. The little boy, stripped naked and shivering in the late morning air, endured Ava's scrubbing. His belly distended like an upturned saucer and she flicked it, worried about his gangly arms and legs. No matter how much she scrubbed with soap, a layer of grey settled permanently on all their skins and when the toddler protested at his raw skin, she bathed him, dressed him in the same filthy rags and he bolted back to the house, pearls of water dropping from his hair. Dumping the water in a nearby cesspool, Avaritia stomped back to the house and petrified. A creature pilfered through the communal dumping ground and trailed a line of rubbish behind it. Normally she would skirt past the beast but the thing waddled close to the shack and she feared for her brothers. Grabbing a rusting iron pipe, she strode closer to the plastic bag-esque monster and held her breath.

Trubbish faltered and watched rubbish spill from his body in morbid fascination. Piling a mound of wrappers, it promptly shoved it inside its belly and lurched on. Ava poked the trubbish with her pole and scurried behind a wall when the pokemon turned to face her. Squatting, she prayed to Reshiram; fortunately trubbish continued its merry hunt for trash and breathing a sigh of relief, she shot up from her position and cursed softly when a searing bolt of pain rode up her leg. Looking down, she nearly fainted on seeing a little monster with shark teeth nibbling her ankle. Reflexively, she kicked the starving dragon and it bounced, coming to a paralyzing standstill. Heaving and sweaty with fright, Avaritia limped closer to the blue monster and it moaned piteously. Feeling extremely sorry, she picked it up, berated herself for taking in another mouth to feed and trundled back home.

Her brothers were ecstatic to have a playmate, albeit one who constantly snapped and sunk its teeth in anything it laid its grubby claws on. Later, she learned the monster was a gible, a land shark uncommon to Unova. Gible proved to be a useful scavenger and dragged home large carcasses of questionable origin, nonetheless, it fed itself and roared at shifty beggars seeking for a bite to eat. When Avaritia tucked the dragon in the crook of her arm, it remained surprisingly docile.

Avaritia smiled widely, despite the toddler's failing health. She carried a brown paper bag filled with fresh fruit, cuts of meat lifted from the butchery and an almost intact loaf of bread, sugar and a pat of butter. The last two items she pilfered from a lovely house. The curtains were drawn apart and she salivated at the food carelessly spread on the table. Prying open a window did not take long and her skinny arms fit wonderfully through the grille. Her smile inched wider, they will have a fulfilling lunch and hopefully, her brother's fever will go down. The boy kept her up at night, screaming and writhing in a swaddle of dusty cloths serving as a makeshift bed. Weeping sores appeared on his skin. A visit to the doctor was imminent but she did not have any money, save for the diamond. Pushing morbid thoughts to the back of her mind, she entered the shack and listened for voices. None, only silence. In the main room, the middle child hunched over the toddler and the paper bag fell from Ava's arms. The older boy, flaxen hair begrimed to brown, looked up. "He's not breathing, not even when I shake him." His voice quivered and he blinked large tears pooling at the edge of his eyes. "Sis...I won't yell at him again so tell him to wake up."

He did not wake up and Avaritia spent the next few days rummaging in her mound of junk, extracting the ornate box. Hunched in a corner, she tossed the diamond in the palm of her dirt stained hands and stared at it. Avaritia slept with the gem tucked in her clothes and dreamt about riches. Often, when she prowled the streets in the evening, instead of searching for food, she gravitated towards the jewelers, pressing her face against the spotless glass and ogling the breathtaking craftsmanship teasing her from cushioned beds. The jeweler screamed at her to stay away and every day, she lingered a second, a minute longer, consumed by the desire to possess those pieces. But theft was a crime and she only stole to keep herself alive.

Life continued. After acquiring daily eatables, a talent she honed dutifully, Avaritia tried her luck with other things. A tiny, ornamental doll was lifted from its place and dropped into her large, patched pockets. A crystal flute took her fancy and she gave it to her brother as a present. No more did she search through bins, however, the local bakeries and butchers found their goods missing by a few and theft occurred every single day. The fruit stall packed and moved but Ava blithely tailed the half balding man across the city, grinning as she palmed two apples and fled with filthy curses in her wake. Smartly dressed men and woman were relieved of purses and watches; and these she pawned for money.

The money she kept in the same casket as her diamond. She did not want to part with it, for money was precious. Her brother was forbidden to touch the box and gible, now a menacing gabite, guarded the coffer with all of its sharp claws and finger sized teeth. Avaritia did not allow herself any luxury; she bought candy to keep her only sibling happy. Seeing a smile stretched over his chipped teeth, made her feel fuzzy and warm. When she opened the little treasure box and touched the notes reverently, a growing, inexplicable hunger unraveled inside her and even as she piled more money, it did not fill. The sight of crisp notes settled like warm chocolate in her stomach and she grinned madly at the glittering necklaces, bangles and sparkling stones studded in precious metal. Ava often wondered how they would look, not as adornments, but heaped in a corner of her shack.

A mountain of glittering gold.

Standing in the butchery one fine morning, Avaritia examined premium cuts and a Cheshire cat grin inched across her face. The butcher glared, warning her to keep her filthy hands to herself. Still grinning, she paraded to the other corner and waited for chatting customers to enter. The shopkeeper rotated, scowl and wiggling jowls melting into a polite façade. Preoccupied in persuading well-off ladies to buy his premium cuts, he failed to see several pieces of meat disappear and by the time he noticed, Ava strode down the street, pausing at the fruit stall and casually taking a bunch of grapes whilst the owner haggled with a couple of street brats. The next stop was the bakery, a two story establishment selling rich breads and cakes. Drunk on the prospect of a quick job, she halted, eyes growing wide at the pack of herdier guarding the double glass entrance. Hands sweating, she turned her heel and marched away. A dog barked behind her and Avaritia picked up the pace, desperate to peel into a side street without arousing suspicion. A man ordered her to stop. Breaking into a run, Ava navigated between trash cans, a shrill whistle cut the air and soon, the pack of herdier exploded after her, paws scraping stone. She ran, heart exploding out of her chest alas, the hounds were faster and with a nimble leap, one herdier, face scarred from experience, jumped on her back and she fell, chin colliding painfully with stone. Ava's threadbare cap flew off and the police gathered around her.

"It's a damn brat," one of them spat, "and a girl at that." The man pointed his baton at her hair, stringed with dirt. "Must be from the slums of Castelia." He commented and studied her carefully. "Now come on lass, it's behind the bars for you. A lot of people complained about your thievery-"

"No!" Avaritia struggled. "My brother," she warbled and whipped around, however a blow to the base of her neck rendered her unconscious and saw a single glint of a coin in the cracks of the pavement as it rushed up to her.

A throbbing pain jerked her out of sleep and she observed a station full of men wearing police hats and carrying batons. Shoulders slumped; she shivered in a pair of tattered trousers and ill-fitting shirt. Crouched in a corner, Ava dozed till lunch time. Rubbing her eyes groggily at the aroma of food, she rasped, "My brother...he's alone." No sympathy swirled in the man's professional gaze. "Please, I don't want to eat," she pushed the tray away, "give it to him instead or else he will die." The man shrugged, placed a glass of water on the cell's floor whisked the tray away.

Avaritia survived for an entire week without food, resorting to vomiting when the police force-fed her. The girl grew thin and unstable; her stomach sunk and she loved to play with shiny objects. On the wake of the seventh day, they found her stiff and curled on the floor. Alarmed, the police rushed over to check.

They found her fingers fastened around the section chief's gold medallion.

* * *

Mid afternoon

Gehenna

Icy mountains

A blizzard raged, covering the trial goers in an icy grip. Flurries of snow blotted the sky and the wind howled a mournful lament. Struggling against the snow piling on his back, Red battered the snowflakes away with a petal blizzard. Pink and green leaves met the tempest head on, before succumbing to the sheer cold. Steam blasting from nostrils, Green stood knee deep in snow, a parchment open between his claws, he squinted at the map and the fire burning on his tail, became a gathering point for two smaller pokemon. Teeth chattering, Tepig practically swallowed the flame whole whilst Zorua, thick coat dusted white, quivered so fast on the icy field, that pieces of snow dislodged from his body, crumbling to the ground. Leaving his best friend to wage a personal war with the seemingly sentient blizzard, Oak wiped snow for the umpteenth time, studied the faded map and looked around.

Yes, they were definitely lost.

No landmarks stood on the unbroken field of pure white and if the blizzard calmed, the quartet could appreciate the icy paragon. However, instead of admiring the cold, they frantically searched for a sign to anchor them on the correct path. Unfortunately, the only things visible for miles were an impenetrable bloom of white and if a sun existed in Gehenna, it sure did not show its warm face in these mountains. The distant horizon mocked them with a destination and the hike offered a stunning view of Avaritia's trial. Greed had an entire miniscule mountain dedicated as a dungeon and it nestled, partly hidden out of view, in the valley of megalithic ridges. The dungeon floated in mid-air, tethered to the ground by chains rumored to be forged by Regigigas. All these tidbits meant nothing to Red as he bounded, praying for solid ground, instead, he sunk till his waist and irritably waited for Green to pull him out. A worried glance at his new companions told him they fared no better. Black literally latched on to Charmeleon's tail and the latter shook his appendage aggressively, trying to dislodge the leech. Zorua disappeared under mounds of snow and Ivysaur plunged a vine to his last seen location and groped till he either located the tiny fox or his tendril froze and broke off. Huddled together for heat beneath the boughs of a sturdy tree long stripped of leaves, Green stood in the middle, whole body on fire and providing much needed warmth to his team mates.

The vermillion dragon evaluated his status in life. _Devalued to a campfire_ , he dully concluded.

Preparation for the Dungeon of Greed started early enough. After rescuing Black from mindlessly staring at the ocean and destroying what little memory he generated over the past thirty six hours, Ivysaur trundled back home and stopped in front of the familiar, peeling paint condominium. The three story building contained only three sleeping areas and due to pokemon's differing natures, sharing rooms led to disaster. If Red wanted all four together, they could not stay in this small apartment. A trace of profound sadness settled in his bones. Maneuvering his bulky body in the thin, upstairs corridor, he deposited Black in Layla's chamber. The slab of rock serving as her door slid apart easily, but once smell of amber and stone hit Ivysaur's nose, he rooted to the floor and gazed around, noting the skull collection and claw marks gouging a slate lying under her window. Tottering on the floor's uneven tilt, Red explored the bedroom, disgusted with himself for prying into private things. He saw a collection of gems and seashells, the items cool and lifeless. Gingerly wrapping his vines around a large seashell, the stowed it away. Another obscure clay jar revealed dried flowers. Dried flowers? Hefting the jar and with the sour tint of sadness filling his mouth, he crept downstairs to the kitchen. Green sunk his claws into N's fur and cradled the exhausted fox. At that instant, the two silently vowed never to speak of the incident ever again.

N snoozed in an awkward position on the kitchen floor, tail bobbing involuntarily. Emptying the earthen jar, Red and Green sat in a carpet of aromatic flowers. The dragon gave the jar a thorough search but it failed to reveal anything. Picking up the blossoms, they threw it back in the clay pot and Oak abruptly said, "Before moving out of this dump, let's finish a dungeon, we can show her, that we are fine on our own." He briefly looked up and resumed packing. Once finished, he vanished through the front door and unable to bear the silence, Red followed him, breaking away when the former headed for the guild. The side street led Ivysaur to the Dojo, but a giant closed sign hung over the lacquered doors crushed his expectations.

"You want those two bumbling neophytes to accompany us?" Green, bouts of fire flashing in his jaws, pointed to Black and N, perched innocently on adjacent stools. The dragon inhaled and Red swore he spied a bread crumb flying into his friend's nostril. "They've been here for barely a week and you want them to slog through a field of ice, scale a mountain and go through a trial when they haven't even attended a lesson for body control?" the fire type grumbled, his quiet voice more threatening than a roar. "Look at him!" Oak exploded, whirling to N who wagged his tail. "Are you out of your mind, Red?" Green slammed his hands on the table, his tale twitching in irritable, jerky movements in contrast to Zorua's fluffy stump. Throwing the fox a glare, the irate dragon sneezed and stuffed a toasted bun in his mouth.

Black, abnormally quiet, watched the heated exchange. Momentarily losing interest, he swiped the bowl of yoghurt meant for Green and greedily gulped it down, belching once the fire dragon calmed and ate. "I wanna go on an adventure," the piglet declared, seeking to shatter the tension clouding their breakfast.

"Adventure?" Oak hissed and Red wilted, folding his ears against the forthcoming lecture. "These aren't adventures brat. They are life and death trials which will question your sanity, test your patience, lead you by the nose whilst you are groping and blind; and make you wish you were permanently dead instead. Do you understand? Just one of these adventures," Green's lips curled, "is enough to turn you into a pot roast." He paused. "I bet you'd taste delicious though," the dragonoid added as an afterthought and Ivysaur gagged.

Hopping down from the stool, N scowled. "Well, you certainly lost your sanity all right," he quipped and lapped a dish of water placed on the floor. "But since commander Red isn't allowing us to set foot in the guild, for our safety," Zorua quickly stated after Ivysaur opened his mouth to retort, "then we have no choice but to tag along. I'm sure it won't be so bad." Red nodded, desperate to string the first stage monsters with him. Shutting his eyes and praying for patience, Green resignedly watched Black drown three tankards of milk. The dragon nodded in consent and agreed to set off right after breakfast the following morning.

Now they squinted, hoping to spot the gargantuan mountain trail in the blizzard and Oak enquired sarcastically, "So is everyone enjoying their adventure?" Despite the snot freezing in his nostrils, Black grinned widely and tackled Charmeleon. The dragon snorted angrily and tossed him away. "We need to keep moving, we can't stay here forever," he announced and marched, leaving steaming footprints behind him; Red whimpered at the cold but trundled behind whilst Zorua and Tepig bounced along to the best of their abilities. The wind stopped howling and the opaque mist cleared, revealing sheer massifs capped in ice. Snow rained lazily and seizing the reprieve, the quartet blazed across. Painfully out of breath, Red lagged and Tepig, too daring for his own good, jumped on Oak's tail for the fifth time and hung on to it for dear life whilst Charmeleon coursed in a blur of orange and red. Like a comet, Red contemplated and giggled. He stopped abruptly, did hypothermia kill brain cells?

Following their mad dash across the snowy field, the four gratefully tumbled inside a cave situated at the foot of the mountain. Another blizzard blew and Black, restless, sat at the entrance, warning pleas falling on deaf ears. The trial goers huddled around Oak and pulled out their rations. At the sight of food, Tepig bounded back to the impromptu camp and guzzled his share of gummis before returning to the cave mouth and declaring the snowstorm over. A rushed packing took place and they tramped out to begin their long scale upwards. True to his reptilian nature, Green licked his sharpened claw tips, hooked them on sandstone and scampered up. Small pebbles skittered down the rock face whilst N and Red stared dismally. Screwing on a determined expression, Red stiffened the ends of his hypothermic vines and speared them in the mountain face. He shot up in an instant and spared the others a victorious simper. Locating a ledge large enough to accommodate his bulk, he rooted there and helped the others up. Once they all huddled on the rocky platform, they glimpsed Avaritia's dungeon with their own eyes.

Five immense, icicle clad chains anchored the floating island. Sparkling mist billowed around the base and the restraints creaked in the wind. Nestled inside a colossal valley, the island contained a giant palace of ice and sand. Glacial blue and burnt gold weaved intricately to create a flawless castle. Breath hitching, Black bounced gleefully and thwacked his tail on the precarious platform. An unmistakable crack sounded from beneath Red and he shared a brief, panicked glance with his best friend. Unanimously, they bolted as the ledge crumbled behind them. Screaming, Ivysaur suffered frigid winds gusting through his open mouth and freezing his innards. His back did not fare better and a flurry of petals, delicate edges withered, drifted on the winds. Up and up they went, blindly barreling to solid land.

And Black's jubilant laughter echoed in the gullies.

"Are you out of your mind brat?" Green spat fire when they reached a wide landing. "If we fell, we would've died there." Unfortunately, Black did not linger around to hear Oak's loquacious rambling and instead, galloped off to examine the local vegetation and take a bite out of it. Vexed, N tore after him, warning the hyperactive piglet not to do anything stupid. Exhausted, Red blearily eyed Charmeleon as he gazed blankly at the map and compared the landscape around him. "Oi, don't fall asleep," Green cautioned, "you'll freeze faster." Rolling the map, he craned his neck. "We are almost there," he stated and called for the others.

Early evening

Gehenna

Dungeon of Greed

Traversing the mountains was easy compared to the new predicament. Scaling the chains. Gargantuan links creaked in a howling wind and sung from side to side. Crouched at the edge of an unfathomable chasm, Red peered over the edge and swallowed, as Black squirmed in his leafy grasp, desperate to be free. A fist sized boulder toppled off the lip and clattered, each echo louder than the last. Icy fog billowed upwards and Red closed his eyes against the violent gust. Failing to find a proper purchase on the rime slicked chain, Green doused it with a flame thrower but the ice reformed in seconds and the quartet simply hung at the intersection where metal met earth. Nature could do whatever she wanted with the monsters as they crawled across the long chains. The link gaps were monumental and Ivysaur shivered at the thought of a slip.

"Now would be a good time for you to evolve." He directed his comment at Green. "You could fly over and ferry us one by one."

Oak's tail twitched agitatedly. "I'm not evolving anytime soon, so I suggest we take the plunge and crawl across this thing before the blizzard re-forms." Straightening, he rotated backwards, irises pinning on a quaking N. Twin, triumphant grins formed on the evolved pokemon's faces and Zorua vibrated violently at their devious smiles. "You can shape shift," Green said. "Can't you turn into a dragon and help us over?" The lizard queried and N paused in his shaking long enough to reply in negative. "Heh, if only life was that easy," Oak muttered, mind swinging to the mechanics behind N's shape shifting. In the meantime, Red tortured himself with ominous visions; although he would not mind dying, the thought of having someone else perishing before his eyes was one too much to bear.

Teeth gritted, caution tossed into the irrational compartment of their brains and with Black and N nestled in the forest in his back, Red and Green stepped on the slippery surface of the chain. Inch by inch, they traversed with teeth chattering in their skull. Conversation seemed pointless and screwing every ounce of their concentration in staying alive and not plummeting to an almost welcoming blanket of fog, they reached the other side. By the time they touched down to the floating island, Red's vision blurred and his head spun in dizzying circles. An aesthetic palace, melded from sheets of sand and ice, towered over them. Hoping the dungeon will be warmer inside, the three beasts dragged Ivysaur inside the foyer. However, when they entered, they dropped the plant type and ogled the interior. Sand rose in towers and arc formations, the floor beneath them shifted silkily and above, giant round windows allowed sunlight to paint the vestibule into bronze. Oak and the others scampered to the middle and he kept a firm claw on Black's tail, lest the brat run off to some dangerous part of the palace. In the corner of the foyer, a block of yellow stone bore the trial marker poem and rivetedly, they slunk towards it. A giant cauldron of shining yellow liquid smoked in front of the board and Green sniffed, wrinkling his nose at the metallic tint.

"That's...Gold," he sputtered, "molten gold." Black, wriggling valiantly in Green's blade edged grasp, admired his reflection in the golden mirror whilst Oak read the poem. Near the entrance, Red coughed and the dragonoid flinched guiltily. The poem read:

Oh you who wants more

Our words, you chose to ignore

Ingrate! Now pay the price!

In these barren fields, reflect on your vice

Traverse them you shall

Cross over the dead, ditched in a canal

That is the fate

That awaits

You, should you fail.

Charmeleon vaguely registered Black slipping, but the text snared his attention. A loud plop prefaced flecks of burning liquid splashing on his torso and an ear shattering scream alerted him to danger. The vat of smelted gold shattered and burning metal spread on the floor, like thick, liquid butter. Black rolled in the middle of the mess, feverishly wiping the hardening metal off his limbs. Furious, Green belted a brilliant flame thrower and soused the gold off him. Grinning boyishly at the gold gilding his skin, Tepig paraded, tail pointing upright. Tail flaring, Green spun around, recoiling at the sight of Red dying at the entrance, he stalked back to his best friend and raged about the first stage monsters. Red laughed and called them; Zorua hurtled back instantaneously whilst Black, who halfway through his return spied a shiny object in the next room, whirled around and bounced off, citing he found treasure. At the mention of treasure, a vapid smile seized N and he too, flounced away with his superiors' heated warnings dancing in his ears.

Resisting the urge to rip the plantation off his Ivysaur's back, Green retrieved a handful of Oran berries and shoved them in Red's mouth. A loud crash and a yelp reverberated from the adjacent chamber and faces palling by three shades, the two monsters gave chase.

* * *

The casket opened soundlessly, a tinny creak of rusted hinges; N, swallowed whole by the trunk, frowned at the handful of silver coins glittering at the bottom, clambering out, he watched Black hoarding everything. Huge mounds of precious metals and jewels formed random heaps throughout the room and Red, along with Black, rolled in the mountains, filling large chests with glittering loot. Alone, Green hunted for exquisite pieces, he picked up a crown and examined it for a solid minute before shoving it on his head and puffing self-importantly. None paid any attention to their surroundings and N warily eyed the ice and sand sculptures. Pillars of eroding soil supported an arched roof and a pale circlet of light shone in the ceiling. Gingerly treading behind the group, Zorua rolled his eyes when Green brandished a scepter and a thick necklace dangled off Tepig's coiled tail. The trio in front eyed him scornfully. "Aren't you going to take anything?" Black timidly asked and pounced on a faceted ruby. "This stuff is worth a lot of money." The piglet glanced at Oak for confirmation and the latter nodded whilst grinding his teeth against a sapphire. "If we make it out with some treasure, we'll never have to work again!" Tepig hollered cheerfully and bolted. Deeming the sapphire useless, Green chucked the gem back into a pile of gold coins and followed his friends. A seed of fear rooted in N's chest and he lumbered after his companions.

Silos of smoking gold peppered the next chamber and the trial goers sped off wearing wolfish grins. Red strained under the bulk of overflowing chests but he piled more, expression esurient. Tottering beside Charmeleon who appraised jewels critically, N's nose twitched at the smoke wafting from the gold pools. One lay near him and he peered into it, momentarily mesmerized by the lure of glitter. Breaking away, he pawed at a disintegrating column of caramel sand and his stomach fluttered.

And the longer he stared, the faster the sand trickled away.

A creature, back covered in spiky spines, erupted out of the pillar's base. Caught unawares, N suffered a cut to the cheek and jumped backwards, the sandslash rolled into a ball and barreled across the floor, blasting into Red. Ivysaur wrapped a vine around the sand mouse and smacked it into a pillar. Nonchalant, he and Black resumed their treasure hunt. Inwardly panicking at the growing levels of sand, N mutely watched an ice sculpture crack ominously. Free from its icy fetters, a tyranitar stamped its feet and the columns holding up the cavern, crumbled instantly.

"Run!" N screeched, lungs burning. A tidal wave of sand bore down on them and despite the imminent threat to their existence; the others bumbled, eyes sparkling at the sight of riches. A flygon and mamoswine led the wave of sand, the ice monster's tusks scythed through anything unfortunate enough to lay in its path. "For Zekrom's sake you three," N shrilled, "move it!" His friends simply ambled, distracted by the shiny. Running past them, N grabbed Tepig and dragged him to safety. The ocean of sand crashed on the fire and grass type and a cloud of dust blotted Zorua's vision. Next to him, Black howled piteously.

"Gone, all gone." Tepig yowled and N did not know whether he meant the treasures or his friends.

Secured in a small cove, N quivered, his throat dry. Black cowered in the corner, protecting a stash of gems. Inside the sand smothered room, Tyranitar stomped to the center, claws intently raking the soil. Tunneling out of the sand, another set of wicked claws caught the pseudo dragon by the throat and a patch of sand turned orange. Liquid fire burst from underground and tyranitar crumbled into golden dust, leaving a thick skin behind. In another part of the spacious clearing, the ground trembled in an imitation of an earthquake. A dozen vines exploded from under, lashing on mamoswine. Roaring, the ice type reflexively jerked away and in the process, dragged Red upwards. Sand cascaded off his body like a gritty waterfall and gathering its bearings, mamoswine head-butted the plant type, sending him soaring through the air and landing on his back. Squealing angrily, Black torpedoed into the twin tusk pokemon looming over Red.

N froze, body refusing to obey his decision to help Black. The piglet managed to hold mamoswine at bay but it will only be a matter of moments before the ivory tusks speared Tepig in the abdomen. Black pumped an ember and it singed the ice type's fur. Aggravated, it pawed the ground and charged forward, each step resonating like a clap of thunder. A knot of grass snared the lurching pokemon and it tumbled to its side, a flurry of razor sharp leaves licked across mamoswine stripping its wooly hide and shredding tough muscle. Mamoswine thrashed and puffed into smoke, relieved, Zorua toppled out of his hiding place and flew towards his friends.

Guilt lied like a loadstone in the pit of his stomach.

Night

Floating island

Avaritia's Trial

Tidal waves of sand and a rampaging flock of flygon chased the group and cut their treasure hunt short. Regardless, Red snatched golden regalia and a gemstone studded belt. On the other hand, Green, temper rising to the point where his dragon hide smoked akin to the pits of molten gold, repeatedly taunted the flygon, daring them closer. The enraged sand dragons put on a burst of speed and before the irate Charmeleon fried them with a flame burst, a toxin laced petal blizzard sliced the flygon apart like scissors cutting through colorful paper. Some of the writhing dragons dropped into pits of boiling gold. Feeling sick, Zorua huffed, slowly climbing to the dungeon pinnacle.

The four of them tumbled inside a long, rectangular hall and the gold carpeting the floor and collected in heaps, blinded them. Shouting cheerfully, three of the trial goers rushed off, eager to fill their coffers. Black rolled gleefully in a mound of platinum coins; Green snorted indifferently but gnawed on a fist sized diamond. Fixated on a large dragon lounging pompously on a throne of jewels and gold coins, N petrified with one paw in midair, his blood running cold. Garchomp, navy blue hide miraculously unblemished, leered at them and no-one, save for Zorua, noticed its presence. An air of a leader surrounded the sand shark and he swallowed nervously, what did Red and Green say now again? Something of a trial master? The dragon got up from its throne, coils of muscle rippled under glossy skin. It stepped on a clean space on the floor and the earth quaked.

The other monsters stopped their pilfering long enough to send the intruder a hasty glare. Black and Red resumed hoarding whilst a necklace dropped off Green's steel claws and he stiffened against the punch colliding with his face. Somersaulting in the air, he landed on Tepig. The piglet screamed and suddenly, Garchomp sucked in attention like a terrible magnet. "My name is Avaritia," the dragon intoned and Red reverently repeated her name under his breath. "Congratulations for making it this far." She pointed to the roof and the sand crumbled, revealing an ebony sky studded with stars. "I specifically tailored my dungeon so you could take treasures from it and I see you have gathered quite the loot." A sly smile graced her draconic features, Black climbed over a trunk and growled. Face hardening, she demanded, "Hand those treasures over and you will pass this trial." N blinked in disbelief. The seniors stressed the difficulty of the trials but this, this was too easy. Running to Red, he grabbed a silver belt from the mass of precious metals wobbling on Ivysaur's back and dashed for Avaritia. However, a vine pinned him to the ground. "...Give me all of your treasures and I will let you pass." Garchomp purred throatily, showing an impressive show of teeth. "If you do not, I will slice you to ribbons, no one steals from my dungeon and lives to tell the tale," she rasped.

Delicate crystal lamps adorned the walls and two urns of golden liquid bubbled near Garchomp's dazzling throne. Black landed into one of these, yowling painfully and clutching a breastplate in his mouth. Balking, N swerved to the side when Green skittered backwards, Charmeleon fought tooth and nail when Avaritia reached for his crown. He slashed three ribbons on Garchomp's abdomen and she retaliated, a clawed foot caught Oak under the chin and he flipped, colliding face first into a slab of untainted emerald. Jaw shattered, he cradled his mouth and vomited fire. Instead of fighting, Ivysaur constructed a protect over his stash of wooden chests whilst the trial master stalked towards Tepig, talons flattening gold coins. Black stubbornly refused to let go of his prize and Avaritia pounded her fists in his skull. When she finished, Tepig let go of the breastplate, groggily wondering why a few of his molars decorated the gilded surface.

 _What was going on?_ N woozily pondered, _why weren't any one of them handing over their treasures? Was the lure of gold and riches more important than life?_

"Of course it is!" Avaritia screamed and Zorua wondered if she could read minds. "You cannot satisfy greed, it will eat you till you are nothing but yet, you continue to fill it, hoping for some satiation." The sand shark rotated and her tail thumped against Red's bulk. A shockwave wrinkled across his body, dislodging several chests. Howling, he dove for the boxes and Garchomp slammed a palm on his skull. Red retaliated by throwing acid and resumed picking his chests. Ava glared at her smoking hand, peeled off the dead skin with her teeth and a violent scowl marred her already rogue features. Stomping to the middle of the room, she irritably thrust her searing forelimb into a smoking vat of gold and shuddered in comfort. Rooting under a moonbeam, she angled her face towards the star spangled heavens and stood perfectly still.

A statue waiting to be attacked; but none of the trial goers moved towards the inert figure bathing in moonlight.

Minutes later she grinned nastily and stalked back to her throne. The mound of gold coins and jewels depressed beneath her weight and N observed her bewilderedly, panic broiling in his chest. He whipped his head around, waiting for a wave of monsters to attack at their queen's command or for a dune of sand to smother them six feet under. For the longest time, nothing happened and he searched for an escape hatch. Finally, his ears perked at a faint, whistling sound coming from far away and instinctively, he glanced upwards.

Eburnean pinpricks peppered the jet sky and grew in size. Mesmerized, Black forgot about amassing gold and gaped at the heavens, limpid brown eyes reflected stones trailing fire. The boulders hurtled from outer space and speeded towards the ground. Charmeleon, greedy countenance shattered, sniffed the air, becoming slack-jawed by the raining carnage.

"Meteors," Green whispered and a gemstone plopped from his open palm. "METEORS!" he shouted and bolted towards Avaritia smirking on her throne. The rocks descended vengefully and one crashed onto the floor, sending coins and jewels everywhere. Red snatched Black and N from the floor and lumbered to the front. Another boulder blasted behind him and the momentum torpedoed him forward. Shrieking, Ivysaur cannoned his bulk and treasure chests on top of Avaritia and Green. In the last second, Oak wriggled away but not before frying the entire lot with a fire blast.

Covered in the remains of smelted gold, charred foliage and Black's foul smelling snot, Avaritia extracted herself from where she was pounded in the base of her throne. The moment her head poked out, Red looped a vine around the arsenal of chests on his back, and bashed the dungeon master over her head. The wood splintered on contact and an array of glitzy coins and jewels ran down the dragon's body; the quartet formed a tight half circle around her and sought refuge from the raining meteors. For a monster with peeling skin, Garchomp emerged rather elegantly from beneath a hoard of silvers, and sand swirled around her hall, re-forming her throne. Throwing herself backwards, she stiffly announced, "I am afraid that our eyes are bigger than our stomachs, and that we have more curiosity than understanding. We grasp at everything, but catch nothing except wind." A pause followed her words and Green smashed his fist in Tepig's mouth when the latter tried to ask a question. Seeing the exchange, Avaritia smiled. "You must...take care of those you hold dear and never let your greed blind you to what is most important." Violet bruises blossomed on her coat and she motioned to the warp portal winking in the corner. The trial goers slunk behind one another and Black snuck a string of garnets as he waddled to the exit. "Put that down," Garchomp warned, a razor edge to her voice. "If you attempt to steal any of my treasures, I have full permission to behead you and feast on your intestines." N shuddered at the analogy and ripped the jewels out of his friend's mouth. "Now leave and don't ever come back, gluttonous fool."

Exhausted, they camped in the dungeon foyer, in a sigil protected niche. The rusty red and shimmering yellow symbol reminded Red of Wiggly. Downcast at their strained relationship and inwardly angry at the guild master for pulling distasteful stunts, Ivysaur decided to pay him a visit once they get off these desolate mountains. Despite everything, Wigglytuff deserved their heartfelt gratitude.

* * *

 **A/N** :Black and N go an their very first trial, high up in the mountains. And Black gets into trouble, a lot. It's mango season here guys, and although its not raining mangoes where I live, I have enough mangoes for shakes, smoothies, ice-cream and iced tea. Mango iced tea tastes really good by the way. At Jac54311: Ah yes, the loosing of the memories. Remember Layla couldn't recall anything of her past life? As for Darkrai, he's one of my favorite legendary pokemon, along with Celebi, the onion fairy. At Fire4Heaven: Thank you for your feedback and concern.

 **Disclaimer:**

Title: John Ruskin

Quote: Michel de Montaigne


	21. Beneath loose pages

**Beneath loose pages**

Early morning

Condominium

Kitchen

A toasted berry sandwich landed on Zorua. Growling at the smear of jam slathering his fur, the fox glared at the perpetrator and licked himself furiously. Muzzle littered with breadcrumbs and the remains of a berry smoothie, which no doubt belonged to the reading dragonoid, Black grinned cheekily and readied another projectile in his mouth. Hissing, N dived for cover and the bowl of yoghurt skidded across the table and tipped all over Red who reflexively shot a seed bomb whilst Tepig snorted in laughter. Growing increasingly tired of the childish fight, Oak finally lowered the skin bound tome; what little patience he possessed, rapidly evaporated at the status of the table. Most of the food and dishes congregated at Black's area and Green's tankard lay empty, the last dregs pooling on the surface of the table. Most importantly, food spilled everywhere. Claws scratching the surface of the ancient book, Charmeleon calmly cleared a section of the table and placed it down. He groped under the table, found two quibbling first stage pokemon and hauled them out.

"Breakfast is supposed to be an orderly manner," he seethed through gritted teeth. Zorua squirmed in his knife-edged grasp whilst Tepig hung, a mischievous smile on his snout. "Every morning I sit here and endure this nonsense because someone," his gaze stabbed Red, "decided it would be worth our while to adopt two morons whilst we can barely handle ourselves." Charmeleon eyeballed Black, a string of drool escaped the latter's mouth and before it reached Oak's buffed claws, the dragonoid dropped him on the floor and focused his rage at N. "Both of you stink and there are unidentifiable substances on your coat." Wrinkling his nose in disgust, Green deposited N on an adjacent chair and the fox sniffed himself, recoiling at the stench. "Red, give those two a bat-"

A four leaf cookie struck Green in the middle of his forehead and Red rained a jug of milk on the incensed dragon. The smell of burning milk filled the kitchen and N, wondering if he was mad, picked a tray of seeds and threw it, the seeds flew through the air and dusted his former commander. Enduring the onslaught, Green picked a hunk of bread, toasted the loaf to a lump of coal and catapulted it into Ivysaur's gaping maw. The plant type choked and thrashed, vines knocking on the table's underside and sending glasses and bowls skittering. Delighted at the turn of events, Black sprang in the middle of the table and kicked food articles in every direction. A dish of cream pummeled N and he stared in outrage as the collar of fur around his neck dampened. A familiar, liquefying sensation churned in his stomach and before he could control himself, N physically broke into a ball of shadows. All hooting and clattering stopped and the remaining trio focused on the dark type. The shroud of darkness fell away, revealing a pikachu with sparking cheeks; the irate rodent squealed and loosed a blinding peal of lightning. The fire types wisely scampered to one corner and Red suffered the full wrath of the indignant N. The stinging sensation rocketed around his body and his mind registered an undercurrent of familiarity. The lightning died and Zorua lay on the kitchen floor, panting heavily.

Briefly forgetting the gargantuan mess inside the kitchen, the other beasts gingerly approached the gasping fox and Black prodded him with a gentle hoof. "You can do tricks," he blithely said. "I wonder if I can transform and shoot thunder from my cheeks." Plopping on his behind, he shut his eyes and concentrated.

Grabbing a dish of water, Red trickled it into the gasping Zorua's agape mouth. Smoke poured from Tepig's nostrils and Ivysaur wondered if he made a mistake when taking them in. They needed to visit Wigglytuff, the seed monster dourly contemplated. "Black, transformation is a skill only limited to zorua." Red sighed when the piglet's eyes flew open in mock horror. "You can shoot fireballs out of your mouth and no...Don't practice in the kitchen!" he frantically shouted. A pathetic moan from N snared his dwindling attention, head swiveling back and forth, Red exasperatedly pleaded, "Green, some help would be nice." Oak joined Black on the ground, habitually scored his nails and competed with Tepig with coughing up brilliant embers. Teeth grinding over each other, Ivysaur tersely attended to Zorua and commanded Green to fetch help.

No sooner were the words out of his mouth, the outside gate whined open. Instantly, the evolved beasts scrutinized the door. Three knocks echoed on the wood, loud and clear and a vine yanked the door open. Expecting to see Wigglytuff, Red backpedalled, a fuzzy feeling fluttering in his stomach when Melody, trinkets glinting on bow shaped appendages, floated into their humble home. Sailing to a stop inside the kitchen, she glanced at the chaos and at Black prancing around N, coaxing the latter back to life with nonstop rambling. Locating a relatively clean stool, Gothitelle scanned the book lying on the table and folded her hands in her lap.

"I'm here bearing bad news," she voiced mournfully. Sensing the tense atmosphere, Black ceased prattling and lay next to N. "Wigglytuff passed away last night." Gothitelle informed, Red's back popped into a multitude of spider lilies and despite the crackling heath, a chill blanketed the room. "The guild will continue to function as normal," Melody cracked a wavering smile, "and you are all welcome there. As for teaching, depending on our time and availability, Rooque and I will take turns in imparting lessons for body control and other basics." She paused to stare at the first stage pokemon, alarmed at the tears falling from Zorua's grey irises. "Because he ruled the guild for so long, we are reluctant to select a new leader. For the time being, there will be no guild masters." The astral pokemon stopped speaking, her voice petering like the dying bars of a piano. Dipping her head, she levitated out of the silent kitchen. Face buried in Black's leathery skin, N wept uncontrollably, he seldom understood what Gothitelle spouted, however, her voice usually enveloped him in nostalgic, pleasant memories. This time, it plunged him into a grief filled abyss and he saw no hope. No way out.

Wigglytuff, dead.

Red frowned and the spider lilies bloomed and rained on the floor.

The guild master seemed so invincible. Ivysaur pondered.

Like Layla.

 _Like his father_.

Red blinked at the intrusive thought, where did it come from? An uncharacteristic sadness filled him, in spite of his deep mistrust; Wiggly remained faithful to his promise and helped them in many trials. The guild master never divulged personal details but Red sensed he harbored deep conflict. The kitchen rotated around Ivysaur, turning into a mess of colors and smudges. A longing desire to stay in this cracked condominium surged within him but it was impossible. The entire group of four could not live in a three roomed apartment. A thousand thoughts flashed in his head and a sharp pain throbbed in his skull.

"Are you okay?" Green asked. "That news dealt a low blow," he confessed and glanced out a window. "I guess we will have to train those two by ourselves." Red nodded weakly. "So since we are now a big family," Charmeleon trailed off and a distant, blurry memory niggled at him, "we have to get bigger and better lodgings, if Black evolves, I have full confidence he might roll over and accidentally crush Zorua under his bulk." The grass type nodded vacuously. "Are you sure you are feeling alright?" Green pressed. "You look green...uh…paler than normal I mean, you better get some rest."

Shaking his head, Red began, "I've been thinking."

"I can see that," Oak quipped, "and it's giving you a headache. We've just received a nasty shock, go rest and you can wake up and meditate for however long you like. I won't stop you." Dropping to all fours, he scampered away to clear the kitchen of its mess. Meanwhile, Red crawled upstairs. Unnoticed by him, a large patch of his skin slouched off to reveal a deeper tinted hide.

Several weeks later, early afternoon

Treasure town

Guild

The little community in Gehenna thrived without the guild master, but the moment Wigglytuff died, the edges of town grew ragged, the desert of fire shimmered closer and icy winds gusted through the hamlet, rattling doors and window panes. Color leaked out of the vibrant locale and some of the bigger, opportunistic monsters started a revolt, clamoring to be free from the trials and oppressive regimes. For the first few weeks, Tamen worked tirelessly, cracking on the lawbreakers ruthlessly and overnight, openly defiant monsters spontaneously burst into sable flames. Treasure Town's previously tranquil atmosphere, shattered and the residents milled about with no purpose in their eyes. Inside the guild, Manectric, Steelix and Gothitelle did their best to keep order, but the reigns rapidly slipped from their control and violent bouts often erupted inside the vestibule, eating hall and, to Gothitelle's mounting horror, the library.

Overtime, Umbreon and the remaining Emblem members squashed the rebellious. Rooque, finally free from his fans, assumed the responsibility of teaching body control to new comers. Taking a well needed break from prowling the dungeons and catching up on work in the process, Red repeatedly shoved the urgent task of requiring new lodgings in favor of dropping Black and N to the guild. According to the steel snake, Tepig performed excellently, his superb body control attributed to memory loss. He held his own and when pitted against odds, Tepig sat on the floor, concentrated till his face blanked before mowing his opponents with speed not possible for his type. Contrary to him, N functioned poorly. While basic movement such as walking, eating and running did not pose any problems, N failed at rudimentary attacking and blocking procedures. His shadows spiraled out of control and if angered enough, he morphed into a barbarous monster, sending the other pokemon stampeding for safety. After his illusions collapsed, Zora lay prone on the floor and gasped for air, slipping into unconscious if exerted enough. N absolutely refused to hurt other pokemon and cited it went against his morals.

Tamen snorted at him, the cuffs encircling the feline's paws, shone unnaturally in the cyan light diffused by his body rings. Noting the defiant glare in N's eyes, Umbreon stalked out, tail sticking up like a beacon. Following the harrowing practice, Steelix dismissed the batch and they gratefully retreated, bird types soared out to the sky and the rest filed through the exit. The floating necklace of gemstones around his neck, rotated and he grinned amusedly at Black dragging Zorua by the tail. N snarled pathetically but followed his friend to the eating hall, where they would wait for Green and Red to pick them up.

Alone, Rooque smiled sadly. This was the kind of community Wiggly wanted, but he abruptly passed away and the shock rend to Melody severed her from the psychic net covering Gehenna. She collapsed on the floor weeping uncontrollably and startled by her behavior, Steelix offered hollow words of comfort and resignedly watched the guild master growing whitewashed against the grey sheets draped on the four poster bed. When he became near transparent, Wiggly puffed into a blinding pall of fuchsia smoke and the color burnt a strong image in the steel serpent's mind. Wigglytuff left more secrets in his wake and every day, Rooque tried to tackle these mysteries, alas, he was too afraid and occupied his mind with helping the residents. The noise in the eating hall drew him like a magnet and he entered, amidst a chorus of greetings and friendly smiles. Occupying a table in the corner and bawling, Black sat on a three legged stool. A vermillion dragon smashed a fist in the piglet's mouth but instead of smothering the noise, Green managed to amplify them when Tepig wailed louder still.

Pointedly ignoring the quibbling duo, Red noticed Steelix lingering near the entrance and called him. Grabbing a large loaf of bread and mashing it with cream, seeds and berry preserve, Oak stuffed the ball on a plate and settled it in front of Black. Infernal scream smothered, the piglet dove into the food in obvious delight and by the time Rooque navigated through the labyrinthine layout of tables and chairs, N fell fast asleep and slowly slipped to the floor. Growling, Green reached gently secured the fox with his burning tail.

"Can you help us find a new apartment?" Red questioned and drowned a bowl of seeds. "The four of us wanna live together and three rooms are not enough." Steelix mulled over the question. "Two of us work and we get a moderate pay so a nice big house would be good." Green nodded and resumed pinning the hyperactive Black with a glare.

"So you are leaving Layla's apartment?" Steelix queried and regretted his words. "Sorry, I didn't mean to ask that," he apologized and Red's scowl lightened. "If you are seeking new lodgings, there are beautiful apartments in the northern residential area," Rooque informed, "and I'll be more than happy to help you search for them." Dipping his head gratefully, Ivysaur scoffed the early lunch, thereafter, the entire group snaked out of the guild, tumbling onto a patch of late afternoon sunshine.

* * *

After searching for an entire week, Steelix wanted to give up and let the quartet sleep on the roadside. No matter what kind of lodgings he showed them, one of the pokemon spouted a negative comment and like a contagious disease, the others nodded and added their own derogatory expressions. Exhausting his patience, Rooque slithered under the laser-esque glare of the sun, ignoring the verbal battle behind him. Rounding a corner, he stopped before a five story building; the outside walls consisted of light granite and the domicile sparkled blindingly in the sun's rays. Squinting at a figure waving from the second floor balcony, Rooque asked the dratini if there were any vacant lots available and the dragon led them inside. Sighing resignedly, he awkwardly steered his bulk in the narrow passage and waited for the inevitable, deriding commentary. Red and his friends appraised the building, sniffing the air, scoring marks on the floor and N dove into a large vase. Mildly amused, Dratini toured the house and showed them vacant rooms. The chambers remained unadorned and blank. Not a sprig of grass, tongue of flame or mass of stones could be seen, solemnly, the company trooped back to the moderate living space and Rooque held his breath.

Time for the verdict.

Noting eager expressions on his friends faces, Red concluded, "We want to rent this place." Steelix jerked in surprise. "Its bland, the walls are blank and the apartment feels dead." Ivysaur continued and Dratini's smile froze on her face. "But it will give us the chance to build everything over, we can tailor our rooms exactly how we want it." A breeze gusted through a circular window and the vegetation on Red's back swayed in the wind. "We'll come by in the evening and start shifting things from our old home. Now that the owner is gone...I wonder what will happen to it."

Evening

Gehenna

Park

Cradled in thick vines, Ivysaur lined a dozen pot plants and a leavanny whisked them away to some distant part of the foggy green house. When the twelve berry bushes finally vanished, Red relaxed and turned to another six little clay pots awaiting his attention. Humming, his bud sucked sunlight and he peppered the soil with miniscule energy balls. The saplings wiggled delightfully, rearing to their full height. A rustle behind him announced Cyng. Blank eyes surveyed the circle of workers, coming to a firm stop on Red. Used to the lack of expression, Ivysaur flashed a sunny grin and resumed mumbling with his plants. Serperior slithered closer to the inanely cheerful worker and wondered when last he saw Red this peppy. "You can go home early today," Cyng droned. He grabbed an Oran berry bush and presented the pot plant to a gawking Red. "I sense contentment from you and it feels like you are starting a new chapter in life." The regal pokemon blinked ponderously and held out the plant. "Take this, consider it as a present for your exemplary work." Cyng did not smile when Red thanked him profusely and bolted out of the emporium; instead, the serpent sidled to the entrance and watched Ivysaur disappear over a field of green grass.

Lamenting the destruction of his room, Green watched the flames lick hungrily at his old bedding. Tepig sat next to him, occasionally snorting in flames whilst N pored over a book. The heat in the room became unbearable and when evening wore on and the flames died, Charmeleon wearily cleaned the ashes. He stood in the middle of the room, drinking in the sight of fire baked bricks patterning an intricate mosaic on the floor. Slash marks scoured the stone tables and benches; and the wood bin needed a load of new logs. Grabbing an off white cloth sack, a present from Wiggly, Oak piled in his books, a stone slate and a few twigs for picking his teeth. Gripping Black by the tail and ushering N out, the trio climbed down to the kitchen and met up with a breathless Red.

The journey to their new home did not take long and if the group expected a warm welcome, they did not get one. Dratini waited for them inside a tiny, stone tiled foyer and a burly machamp stood guard, saluting them with all four arms. Black stared at the humanoid monster and Oak dragged the piglet inside. Huffing up to the fourth floor, the band of motely beasts suffered the shrill screaming of a whismur, frantically dodged when a spinda tumbled down the stairwell and sidestepped when a quilava apologized before darting towards the fallen pokemon. Holding Cyng's present faithfully, Red barged inside the apartment and straightaway claimed a room. Surprisingly, everyone agreed to his choice and ran off, laying claim to the remaining lots. The floor, made of hard basalt, was cool and rough underfoot and after depositing his plant into a corner of his bedroom, Ivysaur examined it. He sorely missed the greenery of his previous living quarters and decided to grow a carpet of grass, bit by bit, he envisioned the perfect room and his smile grew wider.

He stopped smiling when he remembered this world was a temporary phase and the sooner he completed the trials, the better for him.

* * *

"Your attempts at transformation are pathetic," Mienshao harshly critiqued and N wagged his tail. He despised the dojo but each morning, he and Black slaved under Mei whilst their older flat mates worked. As the days passed, Zorua gave up the prospect of ever jogging Tepig's memory and on pestering Red and Green, they conveniently denied their recollections of a past life. However, N knew they lied. Cowering under the dojo master's disapproving stare, he moodily collapsed into a heap of scarlet tipped fur. Others enthused about his ability but they did not understand that the transformation was merely an illusion. Unlike ditto, he could not copy the genetic makeup of a certain pokemon, but N could fool the opposing party into _thinking_ so. This maneuver left him highly stressed, dizzy and disorientated, alas, no one cared when he complained about violent exhaustion and spinning vision. "N, stand alongside your partner and duel him," Mei commanded and he languidly assumed position. "You are just like Red," she commented and flipped the long sleeves of fur hiding her forepaws, "except he actually recovered from his disastrous body control through sheer will and effort, you on the other hand have vast potential, but waste it. This is Gehenna boy; your ideals are meaningless. If you refuse to harm pokemon, then you are no more than a sitting farfetch'd waiting for its leak to be stolen."

On the polished wooden floor, a farfetch'd expertly twirled its leek, feathers ruffling indignantly at the statement.

Swerving to the side when Tepig, veiled in flames, attempted to ram him, N forced Black to retreat with a couple of light jabs. Gathering his wits, Zorua attempted an illusion. It worked partially, Black slowed his rampaging to stare in horror whilst an excruciating pain punched N in the stomach. Stumbling, he caught a blur of fur before Mienshao juggled him in front of the other trainees and slammed him on the floor. Mind muddled, his transformation receded and he glowered dumbfoundedly at the martial arts pokemon. "Do you think your enemy is going to sit and allow you to transform?" Mei gripped him and questioned. "No, your transformation must come as naturally as breathing, in a blink of an eye, you must trick and fool others into seeing what you want them to see," she stressed. "If this is not the case, then you pose a burden." Crisply, Mei tossed him to the varnished tiles, turned around and smoothly delved into another training session. Commands and shouts rent the air. Tail hanging low, N followed Black out of the dojo and the smell of freshly cut grass hit his nose, driving away the heady aroma of sandalwood incense.

The duo trudged through the village center and Black complained about hunger, fatigued, N agreed with him and dodged the larger pokemon traversing the streets. He tried not to think about how each of these monsters was once a despicable human being. Lost in rumination, he meandered behind Tepig and before long, arrived at their building. Rushing up the stairs, the duo floundered into the breezy living room. In approximately a month, the apartment's blank rooms and empty lots buzzed with life. Zorua loved to marvel at the range of potted succulents growing along the windowsill of Red's room. Often times, when the plant type stayed out late, N liked to climb in Red's bed and sleep, the aromatic air of the room helped him relax and feel at ease.

Today, the first stage duo opened the door to see the fire and grass pair sitting contemplatively on the floor. Crinkly charts, thick books, sticks of charcoal and a detailed map of Gehenna, swamped them. Stomach doing a backflip, N cautiously approached them and his mind pulled back towards the harrowing time they spent in the dungeon of Greed. According to everyone, Gehenna, abode of the sinners, possessed seven, compulsory trials; each one representing a sin or carnal desire. Overcoming these trials will allow them to pass to the world of the living. Shuddering at the thought of crawling through another hell hole, N swallowed rapidly and focused on the former commander's thoughtful expression. Meanwhile, Black bounced, the prospect of another adventure, excited him.

"So how did the training go?" Red lightheartedly questioned and Green glanced up, waiting for a response; N dejectedly shook his head whilst Tepig launched into a regale of his heroics. "I know it's difficult, but you need to work harder N," Ivysaur encouraged whilst Charmeleon inked facts from a tome with tea stained pages. "You have to reflect mentally and apply yourself physically. And if you fail in basic combat, Gehenna will crush you. Believe me, I'm talking from experience." The seed pokemon absentmindedly toyed with the map. "We will visit the dungeon of Gluttony next and I hope both of you are prepared. The last time, we somehow protected you but each trial is worse than the last and we make no promises. Even the best die in this world." Red solemnly lectured, mind flashing to the sickening episodes inside Wrath. "With that in mind, Green and I are heading to the Wishing cave to speed up our evolution." Both Black and N shared a worried glance at the revelation. "We won't be taking you but Green reasoned that you have to survive on your own for a few days in order to grow stronger. Don't worry, we'll come back soon enough, hopefully stronger than ever." Ivysaur reassured and packed the materials strewn on the floor.

For the first time since he stepped in Gehenna, Black's visage resembled something akin to fright. "When are you leaving?" he demanded, tail brushing the floor. "What if you get lost on the way? And what if you don't make it back?" he questioned.

Charmeleon, arms loaded with rolled scrolls, dumped them on the kitchen table, "If Red can go in there, discover the dungeon of Envy and survive eating hallucinogenic mushrooms, then I'm sure I'll do a better job than him." The fire dragon declared. "Stop whining, our absence is going to teach you two about responsibility and if I return and see food thrown all over my bedroom floor, Black, I will kick you out." Tail blazing, Green disappeared into the corridor and presumably, his room. Black merely wilted to the floor, teeth pulping a Rawst berry.

Late afternoon

Outskirts of Gehenna

Forest

Wishing cave lay in an area north east of the beach. Armed with nothing but a light provision of apples and berry concoctions, two pokemon prowled the leaf littered forest floor. Ivysaur blindingly ambled whilst Oak held a map and squinted, barking at his friend before setting off into the dense undergrowth. Rays of sunshine pierced the canopy but did little to evaporate the humid moisture clinging to Green's skin. A sense of disarming calmness perfused the area and he relaxed, grateful for not feeling high strung and wanting to yell obscenities at anything breathing the wrong way. His transition from a charmander to a charmeleon had been jarring and till today, it mortified him to lose control of his emotions so rapidly. Fire constantly broiled in his stomach and it became second nature to spit a flame thrower and burn anything standing in his way.

The trees thinned but the mist swirled like milk. Breaking tree cover, the duo heard the sound of running water. A series of lights blinked periodically in the white bloom and sweeping the area critically, Green followed the pulsing runway. The foggy shroud eventually dissipated, revealing a place seemingly not fit for Gehenna. Orbs of light hung in midair and fascinated, Red poked one. The bauble shot off, bumped against tree branches and sailed back to its rightful position. A humongous Kauri rose from the ground and spiraled to the sky and a stream flowed from beneath a wooden door fixated in the tree's white trunk. A starmie guarded the entrance and the amaranthine jewel set in the middle of the sea-star, glowed with an immortal energy. Starmie flashed and its limbs, covered in sets of ancient tribal runes, pulsed with light. Standing awkwardly in front of the guardian, Red and Green exchanged helpless looks, the books they read, did not mention a protector of Wishing cave.

"What should we do?" Red whispered nervously and the two turned their backs on the mysterious pokemon in favor of an impromptu meeting. "Should we defeat him in order to get access to the cave?"

Thinking rationally for once, Green shook his head. "Before we resort to tooth and claws, let's try talking to him." Charmeleon brushed his leathery skin free from invisible dust and strode to Starmie. Clearing his throat, the dragon stated, "We are residents of Gehenna." Oak flushed at his stupidity. "…We traversed the forest and sought out Wishing cave, according to the books, this is where pokemon should go in order to evolve." Starmie did not reply it floated downwards and the fire lizard took it as an invitation to continue. "I'm not sure what to do, but if you could let us pass, we will be happy to resolve this without a fight."

"Speak for yourself!" Red hollered in the background, "I'm always raring to go."

The water type did not speak, instead, the crystal centerpiece blinked and Green frowned, the flashes were too rhythmic to be random and he tried to decipher the meaning between the pulses of golden light. Lazily, Starmie hovered away from the door and delighted with the new development, Red brushed past his best friend and the creaking door swallowed him whole. Not one to let a mystery go unsolved, Oak stared fixatedly at the mysterious pokemon. Could Starmie not speak? He wondered and tilted his head in all directions, searching for a common sign they both could understand. Alas, the starfish pulsed erratically and scratching the single horn protruding from his head, Green slipped off his satchel and bounded to the forest. On the floor, he searched for a twig and scampered back. Armed with a tool, he began the arduous task of coding the beeps.

Loosing track of time, Green repeatedly scored new combinations on the damp ground. The sound of rushing water kept him company and Starmie blinked away, occasionally rotating and making odd, squelching noises. Oak's code made no sense and he wondered if he was wrong, or if the ancient starmie spouted utter nonsense. He decided it was a combination of the two. So far, he accurately deduced that Starmie lived since primordial stages and long lost the power of speech. Wiping sweat from his brow, Charmeleon painstakingly corrected his narrative till he grew cross-eyed. Sitting near his muddy block of barely legible text, he gazed at Starmie, who hovered aimlessly; the runes on its limbs lit erratically and faded in a hypnotizing display.

Within the hollow, orbs of light shifted, gathering near the Kauri's branches and sweeping around the trunk. Leaves showered from the sky and fell into the clear stream, creating clashing ripples. Jolting, Charmeleon recalled his true purpose for coming here and articulating a hurried apology to the still flashing Starmie, he hurtled through the open door, avoiding the brook; and stepped on a bed of spongy grass. A green grotto unfolded and Green saw Red crouched near the lip of a moderately sized pond. A shaft of light hit the surface of the water, breaking in rainbow patches. Stealthily, Oak sat near a bed of fragrant smelling blossoms and instantly, his turbulent thoughts calmed, replaced by an anxious peace. After spending so much time worrying and living instinctively, the silence and serenity of the cave alarmed him.

"What took you so long?" A disembodied voice pulled him back from the tantalizing realm of sleep and Green shook himself, Red did not turn around but the leaves on his back shifted. "I waited for you to come in and I fell fast asleep, next thing I know, you're tiptoeing inside here." Oak did not feel the need to reply and Ivysaur did not press him any further. Picking a flower, Green watched it wilt in his claws. The grass around him steamed and dried. Since N and Black became new additions to the household, the tricky fox often liked to point out differences between their current selves and human lives; try as he might, Green failed to recall anything of his humanity and it irritated him. How did he look? He often pondered and tried to picture what a human might look like. What did he do? Did he have parents? Family? Friends?

All these questions plagued him and only N possessed answers. Oak wanted to pry them out, alas, Red hardly cared of his former life and Oak did not want to be labeled as someone clinging to the past.

The glow on the pond's surface intensified and perturbed, Charmeleon rose to take a look. A sheet of pure white light covered Red and he shot to a gargantuan size. Intimidated by the rapidly growing bulk and the accompanying, unearthly screams of pain, Green slunk backwards, tail beating like a drumstick on the earth. He faintly registered a burning smell but the sounds and lights overrode his senses. Finally, the light broke apart to expose Red covered in acid and slime. The seed pokemon reeked of expired plant matter and Oak's tail whirled faster still.

"You...Evolved," he dumbly exclaimed and a tingle of excitement danced up and down his spine; Red merely grunted in agreement and flexed his limbs. "I suppose evolution to the third stage must be painful, you screamed murder." Venusaur nodded, spitting up a mixture of mauve acid and blood. "Speaking of which, smell anything weird?" Oak stopped in his frenzied scrutiny and queried, Red feebly pointed a vine at his tail, whipping around, Green recoiled from a blazing patch of flowers and shrieked, "Holy Groudon, a bonfire!" The fire hungrily licked for the cave's wooden walls and frantically Charmeleon searched for an implement to carry water. "Red, don't just stand there, do- hey, watch where you swing your vine... Arceus' sake, don't tell me your body control is…." Snorting angrily, Green stomped to the door, his tail brushed against the grass, leaving puffs of fire behind him. The door yawned open and Starmie whizzed through, flashing victoriously. Spinning around it squelched at Oak who urgently gesticulated to the mini fires dotting the dungeon. Holding his wayward tail securely between his claws, Green turned when an explosion of water pumped out of Starmie and doused the cave. The star vibrated under the intense hydro-pressure and Charmeleon's legs refused to hold him upright. Steam billowed in the hollow and soon, the emerald carpet of grass held blackened smudges. Flashing some more, Starmie exited the hollow and still holding his tail, Green sunk to the ground.

Skin burning, Red studied his best friend and the latter simply rocked, eyeing the burnt smears of grass. "Don't want to evolve?" Venusaur slurred and tilted his head, his tongue weighed like lead in his mouth.

Green shook his head. "No..." he forlornly stated and gripped his appendage. "I'm not ready," he pointed to the ebony stains, "if I can't control my tail flame when it's this small, I'll be a walking disaster when I evolve." Sighing heavily, he lumbered to the exit. "I'll...Evolve when I'm ready," he declared determinedly and marched out of the cave.

* * *

 **A/N:** And Red evolves into a Venusaur whilst Green sets everything on fire. At Jack54311: I actually really liked writing Black, he's senseless and its kinda comforting. Anyway, read and review people, today its grey and raining in this part of the world.


	22. Vise grip of madness

**Vise grip of madness**

Smoke swirled inside a vanity room and a set of golden bulbs bordering a rectangular mirror, diffused light. Seated in a plush chair before a white oak dresser, a woman tossed a slim cigarette into a bin; the looking glass reflected a tan, oval face smeared with make-up. A silk evening gown, straps barely hanging on rounded shoulders, wrapped around the woman's form and she used a tissue to blot the dark smears under her eyes. Overhead, flush lights flared into existence and the quietude she craved, shattered, giving way to flighty footsteps. Melody registered a glass sitting at the edge of the table, red liquid filled the glass and she reached out, eager to celebrate her success.

"I'm sorry," her aide stammered. A pair of outrageously thick, horn rimmed glasses hid the man's handsome features and Melody wondered if he could not afford contact lenses. "But the manager," he paused, sniffed the air and stared suspiciously at her with a pair of honey flecked irises. "You aren't supposed to smoke!" He lowered himself and hissed, pale face flushed in rage and Melody resisted the urge to bury her long fingers in his mass of close cropped copper curls. His eyes trailed down the expanse of skin just above her dress' scandalously low neckline and he stepped back. "As I was saying, your schedule had been rearranged," Melody's eyes shrunk into angry pinpricks, "you are slated to sing _The Countess_ later on in the White Opera hall," the man related breathlessly. "Yes, the one with the giant chandelier and lots of windows." The scowl on her face melted off and she smiled coyly. Suddenly self-conscious about his garish, neon yellow sweater and suspenders, the man swallowed and pointed to the glass. "No drinking," he sternly commanded but Melody clutched the flute anyway. "Seriously, no drinking or smoking, in the last concert, you broke down in the middle and the recitation was postponed." The aide skittishly peered through the open door and added, "The manager threatened to fire you, no matter how beautiful you are or how your voice manages to melt Sinnoh's glacier ice," his glare softened, "if you don't follow the rules, you are automatically fired." The man fussed some more and pointed to the steaks of eyeliner running down the corner of her eyes.

Melody gripped the wine glass and took a long, deliberately slow swig whilst the assistant blinked owlishly. "You think I'm beautiful?" she asked huskily, bright red lips inching into a grin when he flushed. "Thank you for your kind words." A faint buzzing started in her ears. "You...leave." The singer struggled with the words and the aide bent down, concern wrinkling his face. "Leave," Melody rasped and sticking a pen behind his ear, the man obediently marched out of the room. A fuzzy image of a woman with dark, tangled hair reflected from the mirror and she shielded her eyes from the seizure inducing glare of the lights. A searing bolt of pain originated from underneath her left ribcage and she clawed her dress, gasping for breath. The pain shot down her left arm and her fingers grew slack. Vision hazy, Melody saw a cherry red puddle on the floor. Blood? No, her mind groggily supplied when glass shards winked in the fluid. Pushing the chair away, she wobbled upright and the six inch stilettos threatened to snap her ankles. Sweat plastered the azure silk gown to her body. Nails stubbornly dug into the wooden dresser and she fought against the looming unconsciousness.

Inside the White Opera hall, a young singer rehearsed. She stood underneath an ancient chandelier and whilst the manager vehemently denied it, other artists often gossiped about a gothita possessing the golden wheel. Candles and modern light fixtures made up the elaborate piece and when night fell and the wheel flared to life, it casted a heady, phantom glow across the giant hall. She looked up, a vindictive grin unfurled on her face. Standing directly under the intricate mess of gold gilded wire and bulbs, the female watched as the chandelier vibrated.

The chains holding it up snapped simultaneously. Faint, metallic pops.

Screws reversed, first one, then three and then a dozen, they bounced on the marbled floor. Flashing when a ray of crimson sunlight glinted off their bodies.

Frozen underneath the chandelier with her mouth open and eyes widening to the size of saucers, the young singer watched as the wheel descended with an almighty crash.

Inside the vanity room, Melody, chest heaving with the sheer effort of breathing, smirked when an ear shattering, female scream swept across the compound. She heard the distinct noise of breaking crystal and very soon, panicked voices as people rushed and screamed of a fire. Fingers benumbed, she let go. The vanity and its lights faded and an icy cold crept over her skin. Melody did not feel pain when her head collided against the floor, nor did she register the sweet, sticky damp when the spilled liquid seeped into her messy hair.

There was only peaceful quiet.

Just the way she preferred.

She woke to a perpetual sunset. A sonorous rumble echoed in her mind and Melody gripped her head, praying for the noises to stop. Confused and afraid, she stared at the rainbow flickering on the water, wishing to disappear beneath the sea's murky depths. A harsh screech split the skies and she blinked when a circling flock of birds bore weird numbers on top of their heads. Shielding her eyes and squinting, Melody focused on a pelipper, the pitch black numbers descended alarmingly fast and she held her breath, waiting for something to happen. The number reached zero and the bird spontaneously caught on fire. The flock scattered, squawking warnings and the flailing bird, sable flames licking over eggshell white feathers, plummeted towards the ground. Melody held her nose and rose to inspect the dead monster; however, as soon as she got to her feet, she planted face first to the ground and lay there, mentally and physically exhausted for reasons unknown.

An uncountable amount of tries later, she finally got to her feet. Flaming bird forgotten, Melody inched towards the ocean, desperate to drown herself. Examining her limbs and patting the too big head, she quivered when the sounds resumed their brain scrambling buzz. Dragging her unresponsive legs across the beach's pleasantly warm sands, she shivered when a wave of water splashed against her skin. The sea's calming grip dampened her turbulent mind. When the water lapped at her waist and climbed higher, Melody stopped and breathed the refreshing, salty tang. She always wanted a little cottage near the sea. Alas, things did not go her way and she spared a brief moment thinking about her aide. Her ridiculously good looking assistant who fumbled nervously, tinted scarlet whenever she spoke suggestively and hid behind baggy shirts and outdated fashion. The blue-gray water reached her chest now, and lapped soothingly against her neck. A wet scarf of doom. Gulping air, Melody prepared to plunge herself beneath the waves and disappear but a voice petrified her.

"What do you think you are doing?" An authoritative voice forced her to flounder out of the water. Safe on land, a liepard, ears pierced with golden hoops, flicked its tail impatiently and an assortment of dark pokemon shuffled behind her. Gothita stared, mouth parting at the numbers trailing atop their heads. "You are a new comer?" Liepard questioned, eyes narrowing into slits and Melody nodded. "Stop trying to drown and follow me," the cat's countenance mellowed, "don't worry, you will be safe." Shaking off droplets of water, Gothita silenced the horrendous static in her head and followed the liepard blindly.

The group crossed a forest, argued at a crossroads and Melody winced at the volume. The numbers counted down, as a second passed, so did a number diminish. A tight ball of fear clawed in her stomach and she looked up, hoping to catch a glimpse of her personal timer but Gothita only saw lines. A barcode of sorts. Shaking her head to get rid of a mounting migraine, she listlessly trailed the pack through a winding path. Sunlight and shade intersected her tunnel vision and they emerged on a grassy bank sloping downwards to a quaint hamlet. The colorful community induced a blinding flash of pain behind her eyelids and unbalanced by her head; Melody tipped forward and kissed the ground. The soil initially tasted like fragrant berries, and the sweetness degraded to a sharp, metallic tint. Facial bones aching, she spat a glob of dirt and rubbed her temples. Liepard, whiskers twitching, flicked her tail towards the village and ordered Gothita to trek towards the guild. Apprehensive, the psychic studied the town and noticed a large, five story building smack in the middle. She turned around to ask more questions but Liepard vanished. Emitting a long suffering sigh, Melody began her hike downwards, tripping and adding fresh bruises and lacerations to her contused body.

"I am a ghost," Wigglytuff blandly stated as Gothita cowered at him with wide, disbelieving eyes. The guild master casually paced and popped a Lum berry in his mouth; he reached out a pudgy hand and offered the bright green fruit to Melody. "I made a deal with Giratina so I could stay here for an indefinite amount of time and help other monsters overcome their trials." Wiggly swallowed a handful of berries. "Unfortunately, I paid a very heavy price for my transgression." In spite of his sorrowful words, he winked good naturedly and a scar wrinkled across his eye. "Don't worry, I won't eat you," he assured, "come on in, you must be hungry, scared and confus-"

Sucking in a breath, Melody interjected, "I am scared and confused, but not for the reasons you think." She dusted herself and once again, examined her tiny body and strange, pokemon hands. Hammers pounded in the base of her skull due to the churning of a thousand meaningless thoughts and information streaming in her mind. The guild master turned, jaw hanging open in surprise. "Is there something on my face?" Gothita queried coolly, vainly suppressing an embarrassed flush creeping on her mauve cheeks. The lack of an invisible lifespan above Wigglytuff's head still unnerved her as she could see her own lifespan, albeit a mess of lines, blinking and changing. Shuffling backwards, she eyed him warily.

Wiggly shook his head and laughed. "Sorry," he apologized, "you have a hypnotic voice...Lovely to listen to. It's alluring and tickles emotions, both tender ones and primal instincts." The guild master's eye flashed with a myriad of emotions and Gothita turned, body exuding a dark mist her in retaliation to her overflowing shame.

She straightened and closed her eyes, composing herself. "Of course...I was a singer before I died," Melody related and Wigglytuff's curious probing angered her. "I did terrible things," her mind briefly flashed to the falling chandelier, "please leave it at that." The psychic type marched through the guild gate and tripped over the threshold, her oversized head's momentum lead her to dive face first. Instead of landing on the begrimed floor, Melody levitated a few inches off the ground, surprise apparent in raised eyebrows and flailing limbs.

"Cute," Wigglytuff snorted from the open doors and Gothita pinned him with a psychic glare. The guild master grinned wider and casually shrugged her attack off. He drew closer, reached out a hand and sighing petulantly; Melody hovered upright and allowed him to lead her through the foyer.

The astral pokemon did not believe in love. She spared no time for that nonsense emotion, not when she lived and certainly not after she died and had to crawl through a variety of hellish traps. As she evolved, Melody wrestled control over her emotions and psychic links. The collective conscious of pokemon, which covered Gehenna like an elaborate spider web, functioned with her as the reception and at first, she writhed in agony, screaming for the voices to stop plaguing her. Wigglytuff helped her tame the links and soon enough, the consciousness served as a map. Claiming a spot in Team Emblem for her ability, she dedicated her time and energy for the good of pokemon. Her initial misgivings of Wiggly morphed into fierce respect, admiration and an emotion she dared not name. An insistent part of her mind tended to his wellbeing and most days, Wigglytuff exuded positive energy and wide smiles. Lately, he suffered from a sadness so acute that Melody resorted to following him from the shadows. She found the guild master near the river bank, staring blankly at the silver water. The expression of sorrow floored her and before she could detach from such strong feelings, Gothitelle found herself barging into his room and offering comfort. She never forgot that day, the sun shone blindingly and as she entered the room, Wiggly stared at her witheringly and she froze.

Don't pry. The look warned.

Don't come near me.

Stay away.

And so, she remained a respectful distance and offered help. Over time, Wiggly relaxed from his rigidity and related a few secrets. Despite the proud smile and flashing teeth, Wigglytuff's eyes told a different story. A longing too complex to fathom.

Her heart ached whenever that particular expression crossed his face.

Melody critically reviewed Wigglytuff's ghost status when he grew increasingly pale and fatigued. The guild master mumbled a variety of excuses for his rapidly debilitating health and the town's community became anxious at his exhausted form. Day by day, Wiggly lost weight, the sparkle in his eyes dimmed and he suffered from bouts of intense insomnia or debilitating nightmares. Awake, Gothitelle sometimes pressed her ear to the wall and heard him pleading with Darkrai. Time forged on, he refused to divulge details and one dark night; Melody ventured out of her bedchambers and she saw Wigglytuff climb the stairs. Orange blood speckled his body. "Are you alright?" Alarmed and thirst forgotten, Melody gently guided the guild master to his room, and he collapsed, eyes rolling up. "Wiggly, answer me!" Panicked at the way his pulse roared and alternately dimmed, Gothitelle shrilled and Rooque torpedoed into the room, warbling threats to unseen intruders. Her body spasmed when a black infinity sign flashed above Wiggly's head and her drumming heart slowed down. The sign vanished and she relaxed when the guild master resumed breathing normally. In split second, a different set of numbers pulsed on top of Wiggly's head and her heart crawled to a stop.

000 : 00 : 00 : 00 : 00 : 01

The numbers displayed. The digit at the end remained for a mockingly long time and turned into zero.

Wigglytuff burst into an eye blinding pall of fuchsia smoke and articulating an animalistic cry, she lunged for him.

She always preferred the quiet and an all-consuming silence washed over her.

Just the way she liked it.

* * *

Night

Gehenna

Outskirts of Treasure Town

"Why does this scene look so familiar?" Green wondered aloud, he scampered from a thicket of trees and Venusaur lumbered behind him. The dragonoid darted forward and watched the hamlet twinkle under the light of a yellowed moon. Few monsters traversed the streets and his eyes automatically followed the stream winding under several bridges and stopping before the cathedral.

Red puffed to a stop next to him. "Because we see this every time we return from the outside." He shook his head, trying to peel his tongue from where it adhered to the roof of his mouth. "Of course it'll look familiar."

"No," Oak lowered to all fours, "I don't mean it like that...It feels like." The flame pokemon absentmindedly rubbed his forehead, next to his single horn; he felt the beginnings of a second lump of bone. "It's a nostalgic feeling, one that transcends memory," he finally clarified and turned to his best friend.

Blinking, Venusaur tried processing the words and the bumps littering his skin, popped. "I don't speak metaphysics," he slurred and shrugged, the forest on his back rippled like dense, green wave.

"I forgot I was dealing with an idiot," Green quipped and threw his hands up to the darkened sky.

"Explain it to me then." Question riddled with sleep, Red focused on Charmeleon and blinked to stay awake. "I don't understand."

The fire lizard spared another glance at the lazy hamlet; lights bloomed across the surface, mingling with buildings, banners and bridges. A dark patch revealed the village center and next to it, the almighty guild, a place to gather, to share information. A landmark. "...Kanto." Green breathed, the word weighed like a foreign object in his mouth. "Pallet City?" he irritably scratched his head and drew drops of blood, "or was it Town? I can't, for the life of me, remember anything," Oak confessed. "I just know that this place," he pointed a blood encrusted claw at the peaceful town, "reminds me of my previous life... It feels warm," he commented tenderly, wiping talons on the grass. "What about you? Do you remember?" The jade eyed dragon questioned and Red shook his head dismissively. A lump lodged in Green's throat. "Don't lie to me." Oak winced when his statement sounded like a desperate accusation. "Stop hiding things from me."

"I don't hide anything from you," Red hissed and prickled, "and I can't believe you have trouble believing me." His glare softened when Green flattened himself on the plain of grass. "...Remember the time when Melody told us that Wiggly passed away?" Venusaur paused, suddenly wide awake. "I thought of my dad," he admitted. "It was a passing thought, I don't even know where it came from and I don't know why I thought of him, since, like you mentioned, I don't remember anything." Red stared into the distance, face scrunched up. "It's kinda funny, the more I try to remember, the more everything escapes my mind." He faltered forward, taking careful steps down the slope leading to Treasure Town. "Don't sweat the complicated stuff," Venusaur lifted a languid vine in the air, "if we can't remember, then it's not relevant to us." The wind whistled, skimming across roofs and trees. "At least, it's not important anymore." Red inched downwards and Green, who did not move from his position at the top of the hill, watched the darkness envelope his friend.

 _Everything is always so simple for you._ Oak mused and grinned wryly. _Sometimes I envy your nonchalance._

A breeze blew, carrying the scent of rain. Treasure Town loomed, pale circlets of light splayed on multicolored sidewalks and soft murmurs drifted from the maze of streets. Dark shadows peeled from one side of the building to the other and a pack of houndour carted a mareep carcass between them. Yellow blood stained the ivory fleece and one of the hounds, accidentally making eye contact with Green, whined pathetically and the pack receded. Roadside cafes shut their glass doors and pokemon drained from the streets, preferring to hole in secure homes. Standing at a three way intersection leading to the guild, cathedral and forest, Venusaur peered at the stained glass and the legendary sneers seemed to mellow. The fire and grass types spilled into the quite comfort of wooden pews, lavender incense and quiet prayers. As the door groaned shut behind them, Melody got up from a bench and stepped to the center aisle. Spying her, Red's back bloomed into a multitude of assorted tulips and Oak rolled his eyes. Gothitelle motioned to the benches and after an internal debate; she resignedly sat next to them. A deafening quiet filled the cathedral and pressed on her mind.

Melody fiddled with her hands, desperate for someone to crack the silence. Unfortunately, the two next to her ogled her thoroughly; Green had the decency to flinch and look away and he violently punched Red who openly stared. "My head is empty." Gothitelle tapped the side of her head. "Since he...Wiggly died, I've lost contact with the sensory net covering Gehenna."

The duo appeared aptly horrified.

Growing slightly claustrophobic, Red wriggled, maneuvering his bulk onto a seat not meant for his size. Since the abrupt evolution, his bones felt like jelly and his stomach did somersaults whenever he dashed. "Could you tell us how he died?" he asked and Charmeleon graced him with a warning glare. "Sorry for prying, but it helps if you spill everything...And don't look at me like that Green, you are the one who drags the answers out of me." The plant type protested.

"You are as tactless as ever," the dragon retorted; emerald eyes skimmed the frescos lining the wall. Overhead, Reshiram's turbo-tail glowed faintly in lilac and orange candle flames.

An Audino smiled and offered them berries, rather famished, Melody daintily took a handful of Chesto berries and inhaled their woody fragrance. "Rooque and I noticed that Wiggly started to act strange," Gothitelle began after the hearing pokemon left. "It was subtle, he complained of headaches and I'd give him berry concoctions to drink." Shadows capered against the church's white walls. "Then, the black bags underneath Wiggly's eyes refused to go away and he became snappy and irritable." Melody recalled how the guild master scowled when newcomers failed to keep up with training. "He hardly slept at night and I'd sometimes lay awake and listen to him mutter to himself." Red paused with a berry halfway into his mouth and scooted next to Green. Wiggly's death account resembled a horror narrative. "I knew Wiggly never allowed any pokemon to enter his room, apart from Team Emblem members, so I became curious with regards to his visitor." Gothitelle stopped to chuck another berry in her mouth and Green leaned forward, trying to decipher the mystery. "You can imagine my surprise when one early morning, Darkrai ghosted out of Wiggly's room." The duo inhaled sharply but their focus remained intact. "Apparently, Lord Darkrai befriended the guild master and liked to visit him for tea. But I'm sure they were not having tea in the middle of the night," Melody's mouth curled, "and especially when Wiggly kept on begging for Lord Darkrai not to hurt him.

An Occa berry fell from Red's limp grasp and created a starburst on the spotless floor. "So...Did Darkrai kill him?" He hesitantly questioned and Oak shook his head in a negative. "Then what? He did say he could not die, but his health steadily worsened and..." Venusaur broke off.

"He failed a sacrifice." Green's orotund voice bounced along the walls. Red brightened in understanding but Gothitelle's face bore puzzlement.

 _Sacrifice? What sacrifice?_

She crushed the last berry between her teeth and faced them, tone quivering. "What do you mean? Wiggly never mentioned any sacrifice; please tell me what you know," Gothitelle pleaded. Charmeleon lowered his eyes in an apology. Frustrated, Melody briefly entertained notions of extracting the information via psychic means, alas, her body slumped and her head spun. "...Well, Wiggly grew steadily weaker and unhinged," she continued with her story, "and unlike other creatures in Gehenna, he did not have a lifespan above his head." Hearing her, the duo immediately looked up, expecting to see a phantom timer. "Only I can see it," Melody reported, "and funnily enough, the guild master's time only showed when he had less than a second to live." Tears stung her eyes and she blinked them away, clenching her hands to double the effort. "Wiggly did not speak; he puffed into a column of bright pink smoke. A color I'll never forget."

The furious pain inside her ribcage erupted and Gothitelle broke down. Sobs wracked her body and she buried her face in her hands and cried. "I couldn't believe it," she sniffled, "I was so shocked that I tried to hold him, to anchor him back to Gehenna." Tears leaked from between her fingers and splashed on her lap. "I screamed at him to stay, I screeched at the number to go higher but the second stretched for a mockingly long time and he just...disappeared." Her anguished cries reverberated through the walls and a small crowd of Blissey and Audino gathered, taking off their hats and eyeing the psychic sympathetically. "I'm useless, I can't pinpoint who needs our help and I'm letting groups of monsters die because I can't maintain my telepathic link." Her sobs decreased in intensity and she hugged Red's trailing vines closer to her. "I'm sorry you had to see this." The fire and plant type hastily reassured her and a watery smile bloomed on her lilac face. "You were right Red, spilling everything does make it easier."

Green did not miss the blue-greenish flush on his best friend's face.

The trio departed after a spell of companionable silence, when candle wax dripped low in the bronze braziers and the glow softened, becoming serene. Zekrom and Reshiram faded into the umbrae, their battle in stasis. Outside the cathedral's doors, Melody thanked the duo and promised to work harder, for the good of the community and Wigglytuff's secret remained buried. Forgotten.

Red and Green trekked home and the air grew increasingly humid. A sheet of clouds raced from the south and covered the starry sky. They hurried past the expansive park and hurtled down the guild's side streets. Pastel yellow light spilled from the guild's windows and Red spied a lone guard keeping, hopefully, a hawk-eyed watch. The residential area cropped into view, flats and houses clamoring for space. Expertly zigzagging through smaller, banner strewn streets, the monsters passed a series of arches and their feet carried them across a stretch of cobblestone. They stopped in front of a granite building and the gate opened on well-oiled hinges. No one greeted them at the foyer and Green extracted a spare key from a little box. Securing the metal in his palm, he raced upstairs and Red halted at the stairwell, despairing at the prospect of hauling up four flights.

His body screamed and protested every step of the way.

The door groaned open and the duo tumbled inside the lounge, inhaling sweet fragrances of rosemary and basil. Suspicious of the graveyard silence, Green peered around, were Black and N asleep? Highly likely, given the time. Flexing bruised muscles, Red mumbled an excuse and headed for his room. Along the way, he opened the other chambers, checking inside for the younger pokemon. N's room remained empty and cold, the slate tiles, outlined in bright scarlet, gave the impression of blood pooling around bricks. Rubbing his eyes, Venusaur loped to the opposite room and flung it open, a seed of worry planted in his mind. No fires roared in a bell shaped oven and more importantly, there was no orange piglet prancing around and re-arranging logs. The worry bloomed and Red floundered to the last room; smacking the door open. A rush of sweet smells assaulted his nose and he searched frantically for two first stage monsters. He felt around the creepers and investigated his bed, should those two decide to hide and play a trick. Chest closing up, he limped back to the living room and shrieked, "Green! N and Black are...They are missing!"

A loud thunderclap echoed his words as the fire type froze. Lightning forked across the sky.

* * *

Green could not hear himself think over the torrential downpour, rain hammered the windows. In the living room, he paced, one claw under his chin and tail whipping around like a flame tipped lasso; Red slumped in a corner, crimson eyes swinging like a pendulum in tune with Charmeleon's movements. A field of lisianthus flowers sprung on his back and he chewed one nervously. Oak whirled around and stopped when droplets of Red's sweat gnawed on their floor, he wanted to ask what Venusaur chewed on, but decided against it.

A loud crash assaulted his ear drums and lighting arced across the windows.

"Do you think they were kidnapped?" Red hysterically questioned, irises darting from side to side. "Or what if someone got them?" he blabbered. "Perhaps they decided to stay at the guild, Black did seem terrified to live alone..." Venusaur tore a chunk of the foliage on his hump and chewed, fragile petals disappeared under a set of flat teeth. "The black market," he whimpered, positively terrified of the implications and Oak clenched his fist in irritation "They are small and Wiggly's not around, Dom and his pack can easily tear them apart and Arceus..." the plant type moaned, "I feel sick."

There were no signs of forced entry; Green checked the doors and floors for scorch marks or signs of struggle. The windows remained intact and no broken doors hung from the hinges. Concluding the two beasts could not be forcibly removed from the apartment, Charmeleon entered the kitchen and noted the remarkably spotless area; he could not imagine Black setting foot in the tiled enclosure and leaving it without some sort of a mess. When Oak returned to the living room, his non-existent hairs bristled at the malevolent scowl on Red's face. Whoever was responsible for the disappearance of the two monsters, Green shivered, will be granted an early release from the trials. Facing the brooding venusaur, the dragonoid spoke, "I don't think they were kidnapped," he reasoned. "Even though they are small, Black is formidable in battle and N dishes nightmares if threatened." The water outside the window distorted Green's reflection. "I think they might be at the guild or the eatery because the kitchen is absolutely spotless. No embers, no ash and with Black's gluttonous tendencies, I don't believe he went for an entire day without food." Panic melted from his body, leaving anger behind. "When I find that little piglet stuffing his face whilst I suffered a heart attack," Oak fumed, "I'll make stuffing out of him." He hooked the spare apartment keys on his claws and added, "Let's go and search for them."

"It's pouring out there, you'll get sick. Let me look for them." Red dragged his friend backwards. The flame on Oak's tail flared, promising pain and Venusaur faltered. "Alright...I suppose a deluge isn't gonna stop you from extracting divine judgment."

 _Damn right,_ Green's mouth curled into a smirk.

Midnight

Treasure Town

Vespiquen's Eatery

Inside a loft lit by tiny, electrical sconces fixed into a ceiling, Black buried his snout in a salad of apples, seeds and berries tossed with wild combee honey. Opposite him, N nibbled on donuts. Tepig sat on his hindquarters and sticky juice dripped down his chin. Rain lashed in a sheet of silver grey and the lights above their heads, flickered. Pushing the tray away, N intoned the time. Too busy appeasing his stomach, the fire type briefly checked the clock hanging on a roof beam and petrified. Green was going to kill him. Fortunately, Green was not at home and Black could enjoy whatever he wanted.

"It's getting really late, we have to leave." N pleaded. "Come on, it's way past midnight and if they come home and see us missing in this storm, they'll skin us alive!" Zorua's tail bobbed anxiously and he concernedly eyed the other diners. Scarred monsters lumbered slowly from table to table and shoveled food in their mouths. Their eyes reflected nothing but the dim glow of dying lights. "We're surrounded by dangerous beasts," N tried swaying his friend, "if they attack us for no particular reason, we'll be flattened." An aggron shifted its massive head and neatly nailed a waitron combee. The insect merely buzzed in apology and flew off on unsteady wings. A sharp tint of cider permeated the air and the establishment lacked its usual, lively buzz.

Lightning flashed and N jumped. He did not like the weight lodged in the pit of his throat.

Inhaling the last of his salad, Black ran a tongue around his snout and sighed satisfactorily Jets of water splashed in the streets; no way could they go home in these conditions, however, N looked close to having a nervous breakdown and Tepig did not want to deal with a temperamental shape shifter. "Look there is a huge storm outside," Black placated the dark type, "and what did senior Green say about fire types and water?" The piglet imitated their stoic care taker. "Fire and water does not mix and you should n-" the sky growled, drowning the words, "sick, I'll feed you to Giratina's ghosts." N glared at him, unimpressed. "Okay fine, he said he'll kick me out." A loud crack of thunder startled Tepig and he landed on the straw strewn ground with a soft thump. At once, he understood why N was so jittery; Vespiquen's eatery crawled with suspicious characters. The scarred and battle hardened. Monsters who looked like they crawled dungeons for a living.

"BLACK!" An enraged howl overrode the din of thunder and Black froze, exchanging a fearful glance with his best friend. "If you are in here, you better drag your sorry hide to me right NOW!" Green thundered from the bar and several apathetic monsters turned to the fuming dragonoid. Tail brushing the ground, Black crawled past a tangle of chairs and fancy tables, his legs almost gave way when the smoldering charmeleon came into view. Squeaking pathetically, Tepig crouched when Oak marched towards him, flames escaping tightly shut lips. Near the counter, Red, face betraying a mixture of relief, concern and righteous anger, shook his head dismally. The piglet swallowed a pained squeal when Green lifted him and dangling the quivering monster, Charmeleon demanded, "Give me one good reason why I shouldn't kick you out." Black's heart beat a frenzied rhythm and he failed to hear the dangerously low tone. "I don't hear an answer." Oak shook the piglet for good measure and screwing his eyes shut; Tepig prayed to Zekrom and did the only thing he could to dim his caretaker's flames of wrath.

He licked Green across his cheek. The dragon tasted disgusting but Black appreciated the undercurrent of cinnamon. Charmeleon's grip loosened and Tepig plopped unceremoniously to the floor. Touching his cheek, Oak pulled away and a string of drool webbed his claws. He blinked stupidly and the rest of the eatery studied the inert dragon. Stepping away from the bar, Red laid a vine soothingly on Green's shoulder and suggested, "How about we get a bite to eat? I've worked up quite an appetite and I'm sure you're hungry as well. Going home in this rain is not much of an option so let's while our time here." Green twitched, tore off a large leaf and furiously scrubbed his face with it. "N, I thought you were the more responsible one," Red chided and Oak paused in his scrubbing to shoot a laser glare at the dark type. "I expected more control from you."

"But he doesn't listen," Zorua yelped. "I told him we should head back home before the storm but Black just stuffed his face." N furiously pointed a foreleg at his friend. "Every time I try to derail his stupid plans, he goes ahead and carries them out. I'm not," the fox sucked in a breath, "equipped to handle him. If I say no, Black says yes and if I try to stop him, he just barrels over and I have to run after him to make sure he does not hurt himself." N's tail vibrated dangerously and Red was afraid the appendage might snap off. "He's not the Black I know," Zorua continued relentlessly, fur damp with exertion. "Black was loud and impulsive, but at least he listened and knew when not to dive headfirst in danger!"

Bristling at the string of accusations, Black stood on all fours, inky smoke poured from his nostrils and he squealed resentfully. "It's always Black this and Black that," he growled and N halted in his rambling. "Well sorry to burst your bubble, but perhaps I'm not the Black you are searching for. You found me at the beach and tagged the name. Guess you got the wrong guy." Tepig nonchalantly spat an ember and Zorua's slate eyes widened, begging to be told the opposite. The little fire type glowered balefully at Green and sniffed back stinging tears. He did not belong with them, the trio of beasts shared a companionship before they died and they wrongfully jumped to conclusions. A tiny part of Black hoped he was the precious person they searched for; unfortunately, the Black N spoke of sounded like a vastly different individual compared to him. "I'm...leaving," he squeaked and turned to careen out of the eatery. "You don't have to run after me anymore."

A pair of double vines, sickly aromatic, stopped his mad dash for the exit. "And where are you going in this rain?" Red inquired, his voice indulgent. "Just because you aren't Black we know, does not mean you can't stay with us." His stomach growled demandingly and he sighed. "I'm famished, let's eat and talk this out like the sensible monsters we are."

* * *

Dawn

Treasure Town

Eatery

The squall continued for the entire night, easing only when the first light of dawn filtered through a bank of puffy clouds. A terse silence engulfed a table tucked at the back and Black stared listlessly at the foods spread across the circular table. The gloomy patrons stumbled out as the sun rose, obscene tattoos and chipped hides filed to the exit. In return, the eatery filled with lively monsters, clamoring endlessly and sharing laughter. Hunger satiated, Red leaned back, the wobbly sensation in his bones did not disappear and his eyelids threatened to slip shut. Green picked his teeth with a claw and rested on two stools, tail flicking in contentment. "So...Why didn't Commander Green evolve?" N queried and pawed the dragon's tail. At any other time, Charmeleon would roast him but now, the dragon sunned himself, his belly bulging with food. "I'm surprised you didn't evolve first, knowing how ambitious and competitive you are." Zorua tilted his head and swiped, the tail sharply twitched out of reach.

Blinking when the sun's citrine rays hit his eyes, Green hummed and lazily regarded N's question. "First of all," he drawled and the fox batted his tail, "don't call me commander, it's embarrassing. Secondly, I decided to evolve through hardship and training, I caused a forest fire at the cave and it's humiliating to lose control," Oak paused, "you did not hear me tell you that." N nodded energetically. "Thirdly, I do hope you two did some research on the Dungeon of Gluttony." A ripple ran down his glossy hide and Green shifted as the sunlight climbed higher. "We will be traversing the trial a week from now."

Red's eyes snapped open and Black tumbled to the ground.

"A week?" the piglet uncertainly questioned. "That's great. I'm raring to go!"

"Good, now tell me what you know," Charmeleon snapped, turning his questioning gaze at Tepig.

Black fumbled over his words, truth to be told, he had no idea what the dungeon consisted of, all he knew was it promised adventure and pain. Lots of pain. "Uh, the trial boss is a glutton?" He smiled tightly when Red sniggered and Green's eyes shot open to bore furiously at him. "So the boss is a glutton. He eats things." Tepig nodded and bumbled, "And also there is that, the nasty minion enemies who also eats things?" He swore that if Oak's glower grew any hotter, it could potentially replace the heat of the sun. "Oh, the layout, I'm pretty sure it's a maze." Red guffawed and Tepig wagged his tail, the wagging came to an abrupt halt when a spark of flame flashed in Charmeleon's teeth. "The trial is situated in the forest." Black finished confidently and grinned.

"The trial is situated in the desert you brainless imbecile!" Green barked and Red laughed louder, ignoring the fuming pokemon, Black snuggled up the plant type, perching in the safety of Venusaur's back. "You spoil them too much," Oak grumbled when N joined Tepig in a patch of ferns. Red merely grinned widely and patted the two un-evolved pokemon with his vines.

Half an hour later, the trio fell asleep.

* * *

 **A/N:** I think I'm melting, this heat, it frieth my brains :( Anyway, my brain melting episodes aside, hopefully you all enjoy reading Melody's back story and Black's shenanigans. He gives everyone a headache. Much thanks to all those who read and review. At Jack 54311: Aren't we all suckers for food? I'll cut a piece of my liver if it means I could get some decent dark chocolate...but nooo! I like to watch food videos on Youtube whilst I'm starving.


	23. Devil's food cake

**Devil's food cake**

Afternoon

Gehenna

Desert

How they missed a gigantic skeleton rooted in the middle of the desert, Red only wondered.

The entrance to Gluttony's trial consisted of a gargantuan skull stained walnut brown by the sun's scorching heat. Baleen plates, big enough for N to dart between the comb-like teeth, rimmed the skull and the rest of the flat, colossal cranium disappeared underground. Several meters away, the carcass rose out of the sand again and Venusaur currently strolled through a gargantuan ribcage. The rib bones formed a series of open arches, withering at the tips. The quartet entered the desert well before dawn and followed a singular, solemn trail through the fiery plains. Green led the procession with a map gleaned in the guild's library and although they followed the path to the last niggling detail, the group still missed the dungeon. They trudged till they saw the familiar landscape of Bryst's trial and the moment Red spied the rusty execution blades, he turned tail and ploughed through the sand. For the next few hours, the four monsters circled the desert, strength sapped by dehydration, they viewed their surroundings in a befuddled daze.

They stumbled across the trial only when N peered to the west and commented that the white bones reminded him of marshmallows. Words slurring together, Black demanded what N meant by marshmallows and on hearing about the fluffy confectionery, Tepig screeched in delight and tore off, prancing across the smoking soil like his hooves sprouted wings. He collided with a rib bone and crumbled into a confused heap. Undeterred, he got up and attacked the structure with teeth, gnawing on the bone and jerking back when the taste of rancid fat hit his tongue.

"It tastes like dead whale," he helpfully informed once the rest caught up to him.

Running a palm across the surface of a pale yellow bone, Green turned to Black and queried, "And you know how dead whales taste because?" Tepig skillfully ignored him and bounded off to explore. The others followed his example and wandered around the strange fossil. The skeleton's mouth opened wide enough to let a steelix pass through without crouching and a set of cracked steps spiraled down into an obscure darkness. Squinting, Red made out vague details such as chains and pewter bricks. Shrugging, he led the group downwards and repressed a shiver when a dank breeze washed over them. The wind carried the stench of carrion and the plant type looked down to see if any corpses decorated the passages. He found none. The smell of rotting flesh disorientated him and he swallowed rapidly, stuffing his mouth with a bunch of lemongrass. Near him, N gagged and retched on the damp floor; surprisingly, both Green and Black were the least affected however, the acrid smell teased tears from Tepig's eyes.

The corridor grew humid and N shuddered each time his paw came in contact with the sticky ground; the mouthful of lemongrass he chewed on, left a tangy, unpleasant aftertaste and he wanted to nestle on Red's back, safe from the gluey paste spread over the floor. Metallic chains hung from the roof and they rattled in the dank breeze. A faint, perceptible throb ricocheted through the dungeon and Zorua compared it to a heartbeat. It certainly did sound like an angry heartbeat. Four long tunnels and one dead end later, the quartet sauntered into the dungeon foyer. The vestibule's brick wall lay under a collage of gears and metallic implements. On closer inspection, N found wheels overlapping worm drives and a planetary gear set whirred hypnotically next to a rusted sundial. Silver birdcages, hammered flat, juxtaposed with sewer grates. His companions congregated in the middle of the room, heads bowed over an oblong metallic tablet depressed in the floor. N bounded towards them, eyes swinging over the trial marker poem.

Food.

Nurtures our body, makes a happy mood.

Eat with humility, devour with relish

Be thankful, or watch your body perish

Maintain order and exercise restraint

We feed to keep alive so do not taint

Yourself by greed. I promise…

I will make you bleed.

The tablet gleamed unnaturally and after reading it the fifth time, the block of metal grew increasingly dark, till it resembled a slab of obsidian stone. Unable to see the words embossed on its surface, N looked up to the older monsters; hopefully they will have an easy solution to traverse this particular dungeon.

A fist clobbered the sheet of metal but it refused to dent, hissing in pain, Green cradled his throbbing hand. "For starters, the horrible stench inside this dungeon is working in favor of us," he said and Red stopped munching a handful of bay leaves to stare at him in disbelief. "I guess we'll be tempted to eat whilst we go through the trial and we'll be so busy gorging," here the trio turned to stare meaningfully at Black, "that we will rot in here or worse, become food for the dungeon enemies." Oak factually stated and examined his limb. "So, this smell," his bared his teeth in disgust, "will deter us from eating. Therefore, we are liable to finish the dungeon due to having no personal distractions."

Venusaur spat out a lump of chewed plant matter. "...I'm still suspicious," crimson irises shifted around the vestibule, "since when did the trial masters make anything easy for us?" Red questioned and pointed to the wall, "and who in their right mind uses a sewer grate as a wall decoration? That thing has…stains. Brown ones."

A ball of bile rose in N's throat.

"Can we move?" he pleaded. "And please don't mention food in this place, or comment about...brown stains, I can feel my breakfast trying to claw out." N feebly announced and meandered to the nearest exit, he sniffed the air. "This one smells better than the others," he declared, "we can go through here." The rest rushed to him and true enough, the stench was bearable. Alas the hallway shone like wet ink and black sand. Green thrust his flaming tail tip through the tunnel and watched shadows flicker across the walls.

Chains hung from the low ceiling and Red bumped into one. The shock of being hit by slimy and cold metal prompted him to thrash erratically in the narrow tunnel. Charmeleon ducked as a dripping vine arced across his head and caught Black squarely on his face, the piglet rocketed into the opposite wall and the rotting bricks crumbled. Stilling, Red whipped around; bulk flatting Green against the pewter walls as he turned to nudge Black upright. One of the crumbled bricks briefly pulsed with a golden light and from the other side of the newly crafted hole; a series of low screeches, like claws dragging down stone tiles, were heard. The group froze. Squinching through the collapsed bricks, Venusaur searched for lurking enemies. All became silent, save for the periodic dungeon throb. Passing an Oran berry to Black (who refused to eat) Red rotated in the narrow corridor and a vicious snarl erupted from the adjacent hallway; N jumped back when a creature with frayed wings swooped through the ragged entrance and buried all three of its jaws in Red's squat neck.

The three headed, dark dragon jerked, trying to gnaw through bone. Red howled in agony and two of hydreigon's heads paused in their mauling to attack the vines lassoing around their skinny necks. The middle head, by far the most intelligent, chewed through flesh and swallowed all the bits of meat its serrated teeth hooked into. Uttering a sharp moan of pain, Red detached the dragon and fired a solar beam. A lurid pillar of light caught the dragon's common body and slammed it into the tunnel's curved walls. Numbed by pain, Venusaur pressed against the floor, he missed half of his neck and white bone glinted amongst lime tinted flesh. Pivoting on his heel, Oak charged to the opposite side, tail fire flaring with each consecutive step, he leapt in the air and a brilliantly bright flame thrower charred the suspiciously inert dragon into a cloud of magenta dust. The fires died down and the trio converged near Venusaur. Black trickled a healing concoction through Red's agape mouth and Green scanned the seed pokemon's hide. He watched the flesh knitting on top of bones and kept an eye for more enemies.

Petrified by the incident, N merely shook and buried his snout in Red's fragrant body.

A warm claw pressed against Zorua's flank and he froze. Looking up, he saw Green slump next to him. The dragon's stomach growled loudly.

"I don't know about anyone else," he stated blandly, "but I'm really hungry."

Evening

Desert

Gluttony's Trial

Legs stiff, N bounded alongside Black; along the way, Green steadily marched slower till he drew level with the un-evolved beasts. Falling in step behind them, he gently scooped Zorua who gaped in alarm. "You look very tired," Oak responded and clasped N closer to his steaming chest. Despite the warm gesture, Zorua stiffened. Whilst he respected both his seniors to the utmost degree, he feared when their personalities took a turn. For Red, it wasn't so bad, sure he could get angry, but his rage was easily appeased. On the other end of the spectrum, whenever Green softened, Zorua took it as a cue to run away with his tail between his legs. The tunnel ahead of them stretched endlessly and N's tail wagged apprehensively, Charmeleon carried him soothingly and once the motely band turned into another dim hallway and a gush of moss green water rushed over their feet, N relaxed, perhaps the dragon just needed something cuddly to hold. However, the moment Zorua melted in his embrace; Green inhaled deeply and the tip of his nose brushed N's scarlet tipped fur. "You smell like liquorice," Charmeleon throatily rumbled and the fox squirmed desperately. "Be still, I won't eat you," Green admonished and tightened his grip.

N hung feebly, praying for Red to save him.

"There is a string of drool coming out of your bottom lip," Black commented blithely and Zorua resumed his frantic squirming. "N's fur tastes a bit like licorice and mint," Tepig continued and sloshed through the ankle deep water. "But you can't eat him, he'll give you stomach aches with all that fur."

The shape shifter wanted to bury his fangs in Green's forelimb, but he feared the dragon might react aggressively and punt him straight to the trial master's throne chamber. "Black...I'd appreciate it if you kept your mouth shut," N hissed. "If I remember correctly, senior Green wanted to have _you_ for a pot roast. I'm sure you'll taste great if glazed with honey."

"Like I said," Green droned, "I don't want to eat you; I only carried you because Black eyed you like a piece of steak."

 _Yeah right!_ Zorua's tail became a blur. _A few hours ago you said you were hungry!_

Abruptly stopping in front of them, Red felt three pokemon crash in his back. A rumbling ghosted down the halls and it resembled a clap of thunder. The walls glistened, droplets of silver water oozed between the cracks and the path split in three. Still clasping Zorua to his chest, Green shouldered his way forward and scanned the area. The smell of putrefied blood blasted his senses and grabbing a handful of fragrant leaves from Venusaur's back, he stuffed them in his mouth. Heavy grills, slick with water and moss, covered the corridor entrances and the dungeon's overpowering heartbeat throbbed through all three tunnels.

"Which way do we go?" Black piped from behind. "They all smell equally disgusting." Disinterested in the apparent doom, Tepig splashed in the water. Eyes narrowing, Red stepped forward, trying to judge the quantity of light pouring from the darkened tunnels. After an internal debate, he pointed to the right, grille covered tunnel and Green shrugged. Vines wrapped around the grate and with a metallic screech, the rivets popped, plopping into the water. Braced for enemies, the group waded through and here, more liquid, shining quicksilver, darted between the cracks and oozed to the floor, coagulating into a wobbly mass. Cautiously eyeing the silver puddle, Red marched faster, anxious to put a distance between the growing pool and himself. Lingering behind them, Black studied the moving splash and when Green and Red neglected him for a split second in order to bicker about what particular type of mint N smelled like, the piglet batted the rolling puddle. The quicksilver burst with an audible pop and separated into two. Tepig crawled backwards and the arguing died down. The liquid stretched and solidified into a pair of vanillish.

The thin stream of water flash froze into a layer of ice. Wincing at the burning sensation, Black freed his totters from the frosty prison. The two vanillish bobbed in the air and snowflakes swirled around them.

A hungry rumble resonated from Tepig's stomach.

Rearing to his hindquarters, a ball of flames whizzed out of his nostrils and the vanillish ducked and weaved. One sailed to the roof whilst the other blasted an ice beam. Tepig hurtled backwards, desperately trying to wriggle out of the icy grip covering his body. Tossing N to Red, who caught the shape shifter in a leafy net, Green clouted the nearest enemy with a flame cloaked fist and hissed in pain when his claw was frozen solid. The pair of vanillish grinned deviously and rotated around each other, brewing a cyclone of white mist and icy particles. Cracking the ice cementing his lower legs, Black belted a flamethrower, his first, and the fire left a stinging numbness in his mouth. A rush of orange flames roared forward and shrunk back when flecks of ice buffeted them. The mini tornado in the hallway gained momentum and Green couched low, trying to find a purchase on the slippery ground. A column of light burst through the flames and struck the whizzing snow pokemon, the duo burst apart. Springing, Oak rammed his head into one of the monsters as it came to a dizzying stop whilst Red took care of the other by spraying a thick sludge of acid. Black gulped when they disappeared, he really wanted to lick one and see if it tasted like vanilla.

The lack of light rendered Red dizzy and scrambled his brains. More often than not, his shoulders brushed along the slimy walls and he recoiled in disgust. The air was thick and toxic and the plant type huffed along, one eye glued to Black in case the naughty piglet decided to bounce to his death. The more they moved through the tunnels, the louder their stomachs protested. Unfortunately, the stench of carrion smothered their attempts to eat. Hit by a revelation, Venusaur stated, "You were wrong," his stomach growled in agreement, "about the stench working in our favor." He gesticulated to the air. "The smell is making us sick, it's preventing us from replenishing our energy." Red braced against a wall. "I'm so tired, and firing those solar beams in here was not a good idea, now the entire world is running around me," he groaned and N brought out squares of chocolate. "...No, seeing food is making me wanna puke." Red declined the offer and dropped the squares in his satchel. "Let's move, the longer we wait, the faster I'll wilt." Determinedly glaring at the sable darkness, Venusaur lumbered to the exit.

The hallway branched again, this time; ten corridors snaked into different directions. Some were large enough to fit a wailord whilst N could not squeeze through the others. Tepig's witless suggestion of splitting up to explore, were met with varying degrees of resistance; Zorua sighed defeatedly, Red graced the orange piglet with an indecipherable look and laid a soothing vine on Black's head, hopefully trying to coax the fire type's former intelligence back into his hollow skull. On the far end, Green's tail blazed, he back handed Tepig so hard, the poor piglet somersaulted and crashed into a sealed passage.

"We go through there." The dragon blew on his knuckles. "Moltres opened a path for us," he grumbled.

"Green, stop hurting him, he's still young," Red dictated and covered the bruised, quivering tepig with healing sap. "Keep a lid on your temper or the next time you have a broken bone, I'll delay your recovery process. Stun spore sounds good to lock you in place." Venusaur glowered.

Charmeleon waded, keeping his tail well above the water line. "If the stupid brat didn't spout nonsense, I wouldn't have to hit him," he professed and jerked a claw at Zorua. "He should take lessons from N." Oak scowled when the dark type's tail vibrated. "And stop wagging your tail in distressing situations." The fire type ordered.

"Honestly, I'll be so much relieved once you evolve into a charizard, your temper is horrible." Venusaur berated and drew to his full height when Green's tail fire roared. "Now what? You wanna roast me?" Red challenged, Oak inhaled sharply and looked away, teeth grinding in anger and frustration.

Fur prickling at the tense standoff, N bounded in the middle and pointed to the open corridor. "We have bigger problems to worry about," he calmly stated. "And facing the dungeon master with half battered bodies is going to ruin us all. Please work together," Zorua implored.

"Wasn't going to fight." Green mumbled and brushed past, weariness weighing his limbs. He muttered softly to himself and faded into the tunnel mouth. Red followed him after cradling Black and N brought up the rear. The moment he stepped over the threshold, a loud thud rocketed through the space.

And N's heart skipped a beat.

* * *

A downpour of quicksilver rain assaulted the trial goers as they raced across a spacious, square room. Continuing with the norm, six paths branched from the chamber and before any one of them traversed through, steel bars sealed the passages. Green crashed into the northern end and Red pummeled into him, forcing the latter's snout to wedge through the columns. Silver liquid drizzled from a triple height ceiling. The drops fell to the moss slicked floor and immediately wobbled into a sentient puddle. Gears, plastered on the walls, ground into motion and bricks popped out, pulsing gold. Lilac burst out of the cracked keystones, forming into a ghostly face; N's tail dropped along with Tepig's and Green's, but whilst the fire types' appendages sank to the floor and stayed there, N's furry stump picked up again and vibrated so fast, a shooting pain danced up his spine.

The younger pokemon crouched backwards, baring teeth when the horde of monsters pressed closer. Spiritomb clattered across the ground whilst vanillish and luvdisc hovered in the air. The temperature inside the dank square tumbled several degrees and rime crunched under foot. A whirlpool of shadows frothed in the center, fueled by N's anxiety and hunger, the dungeon beasts stopped to ogle and the umbrae pulsed outwards, cleaving spiritomb and shearing through a luvdisc hopping fruitlessly in the air. A heat wave, courtesy of Black, kept the ice-types at bay but the ghost monsters passed through it harmlessly. Tepig whimpered and glanced backwards, where Charmeleon struggled to free himself and Red rummaged through his bag, brow furrowed as he retrieved objects and shoved them back in, muttering deliriously.

Venusaur found what he searched for and with a triumphant grin, which Zorua mused should probably not be there, the plant pokemon held up a packet of straw colored seeds. "I found the sleep seeds; I knew these would come in handy," Red declared victoriously. Seeing the gargantuan creature lumber, the smaller dungeon monsters took a collective step backwards.

With great difficulty, Green pulled his aching face out of the narrow bars and sent his friend a withering glare. "Really? Sleep seeds?" Oak asked balefully. "You can put enemies to sleep and inflict temporary paralysis, poison and confusion with your spores." The dragon threw his hands up and his stomach rumbled. "Quiet!" Green spat at his sunken abdomen and resumed ranting, "However it seems the only thing your spores are good for is to put _me_ under status ailments." Quailing under his glare, Red meekly thrust the seeds back into the satchel. "Good, now do something useful like putting those enemies under mass confusion whilst we friendly monsters hold our breath." Charmeleon sucked a lungful of squalid air and the youngsters did the same. For a moment, Red dazedly stared into the distance, like he forgot how to summon his spores. Expression hardening, a mushroom cloud of particles spewed from his tree and settled over the room. Lungs screaming, Green exhaled, nodding with grim satisfaction when the spirits halted in their tracks. Some of them sluggishly pounced on fellow ghosts and before long, the metal lined walls echoed furious shrieks.

Coiled tail swinging from side to side, Tepig squealed a war cry and dove into the fray with N following suit. Black suffered a water gun directly to his face and violently whipped his head to prevent the fluid from reaching his nostrils. A feverish gleam seized his eyes and his entire body ignited in flames. Cannoning into the ground, he charred anything with a half meter radius and N jumped away from flickering flames. Inside a steaming crater, Black hobbled to his feet and grinned proudly. Around him, monsters exploded into pastel shades of smoke. He climbed out of the hole and his gaze fell on a quivering luvdisc.

Before anyone could stop him, the piglet buried his teeth in rosy flesh. The rest of his group became rigid when instead of turning into smoke; Black tore the monster in half, chewed and swallowed it with a delighted moan. When the room delved into an uncomfortable silence, punctuated by Tepig's chomping and hisses of pure delight, he whirled around. His team mates regarded him warily, disgust crept into their eyes. "It tastes really good," Black offered a tiny piece and his friends leaned away from him.

"Put that down and spit out whatever is in your mouth," Red, voice dangerously low, commanded. "You are not supposed to eat them, they-"

"But I'm hungry!" Black wailed. "And they taste really great, you have to try some." Face lighting up, he blathered, "I wonder if vanillish tastes like vanilla shaved ice." Hunger gnawing in the pit of his stomach and tethering near unconsciousness, N feebly squeaked at Tepig to stop being foolish. He stumbled forward and plopped to the ground. Vanilla shaved ice sounded refreshing. It was an excellent dessert. Casting a sheepish glance at the petrified caretakers, N mumbled an apology and streaked off into the gloom. His stomach could do with some real food.

Night

Gehenna

Dungeon of Gluttony

The hallways plunged into an abysmal darkness and hanging chains threated to throttle unsuspecting trial goers. Tottering next to Green, whose tail contorted anxiously, Red peeled his eyes for signs of Black or N. Hours trickled by and they were exhausted with worry. Each new hallway gave birth to more corridors, like the branching of an infinite number of blood vessels. Dizzy with hunger, Venusaur brought an apple to munch on, but the moment the fruit touched his mouth, the rank smell of sour milk, permeating the current corridor, intensified and he stowed the food back into his bag. The tree atop his back shed leaves and despite the lack of sunlight, he ploughed on, leaving a trail of withered petals. If by any chance Black and N searched for them, they could follow the shriveled vegetation.

At the end of a tunnel plastered with chains and silver pinwheels, the pathways branched into two. Red smashed a tendril against a tin door and it echoed hollowly. After an internal debate, he said, "We should split up, we'll cover more ground that way."

"What? No! We can't split up, what if the ghosts gang up on us?" Charmeleon noted Red's drooping eyes. "And you are in no condition to fend for yourself. We'll stick together, find those two and get out of here." Green nodded to himself and flexed his claws, punching the door apart will require effort.

"I'll handle myself..." Red responded lethargically. "But seriously, I'm getting really worried about them." The tin door folded with a horrible screech and Green spun around, shaking his head stubbornly. "Green, I know I don't make wise choices but we need to find them. We are better equipped at handling the ghosts then they are and don't worry about me, I'll manage, it will take a lot to get rid of me." The crimson eyed beast declared and before Oak changed his mind, Red barreled through the newly opened corridor and vanished. Hunger stabbing the walls of his stomach, Charmeleon waded forward. Curiously, he saw no enemies. Large patches of shadows remained ghost free and in the distance, he heard a faint plip plop of the periodic steel rain. Swallowing bile and anxiety, he rushed to the open room ahead. The rain stopped abruptly and Black's unmistakable, high pitched squealing echoed down the hallway. Heart leaping to his throat, Green hurdled, pausing to rake through a luvdisc barring his way, he stumbled into a room came to an abrupt stop.

On the mold besotted ground, a pidgeot wrestled with hydreigon; N, talons glinting wickedly in the dismal light, plunged razor sharp claws in one of the dragon head's eyes. The resounding growl echoed for miles. Pidgeot flew over the dragon and forced the beast to the floor. The brutal pokemon jerked, wings frantically beating the ground. However, the bird did not give in. A sharp crunch later, the dark dragon panted on the floor. Black, snout littered with what Green guessed as ice, bounded to the writhing dragon, tore off a wing and devoured it. The tattered strip of feathers slithered down Tepig's gullet. Still keeping a firm purchase on the feebly fluttering dragon, pidgeot plucked an eyeball and crushed it in its beak.

Drops of eyeball fluid ran down N's hooked bill and gagging, Green looked away.

He waited for them to finish the dragon before approaching.

A loud belch and a tiny puff of grey smoke from Black's nostrils signaled the end of their feast. When the duo saw Green approaching, they did not run away. At first, Oak admired their brazen behavior but when he came closer, he understood why. In a span of a few hours, the two first stage monsters put on so much weight, they could not move. Tepig's belly spilled to the floor; next to him, N's formerly slender forelegs jiggled with each movement and skin stretched over his once pointy snout. The duo rolled on the floor, eyes glassy and torpid. Back legs kicking against rotten tiles, Black edged to the wall and skirting around a dowsing zorua, Green observed the piglet. Once he reached the metal encrusted wall, Tepig took a bite out the bricks, steel wires and all. The pig pokemon moaned happily and gulped the entire lot. Cuts flecked his lips and dripped saffron blood.

Horrified, Green dived inside his bag for a gummi. Placing a claw on the piglet's shoulder, he gingerly offered the bright orange gummi. "Eat this," Oak prodded, "it will fill you up." Alas, Tepig scrunched his face and resumed eating mortar and metal. Tail fire blazing in a mixture of anger and worry, Green breathed deeply and tried again. This time he sidled towards N and held the gummi out. "N, you need to snap out of this destructive eating behavior. This pull towards immaterial food, is the actual trial. Defeating monsters is nowhere as hard as controlling your desires," Green insisted and held the fox's placid gaze. "I know how difficult it is, I experienced this type of hardships before and you have to fight it, snap out of it." A breeze bore the stench of rotten vegetables. "Try. Fight against those commanding instincts," Charmeleon articulated desperately. "If you don't you will stay in here and rot and die," he whispered and combed N's slate fur. To his utter despair, the tricky fox settled on obese paws. Gritting his teeth, Green chucked the orange gummi in his mouth and suffered the taste of moldy tangerines; he rifled in his bag for a healing potion.

Patience rapidly thinning, the dragon curbed the desire to prise N's mouth apart and tip the contents directly in his throat. "Here, this is made of berries and honey." Green's voice cracked. "Just...Drink a little of this, I promise you, you'll feel much better." The shape shifter's lower abdomen swelled tremendously and he rolled on to his back. "Let me help you," Green softly muttered and trickled the berry concoction into N's mouth. The little beast spasmed, vomited a bit of the liquid but choked down the rest. In minutes, Zorua's rapid breathing ceased, and the dangerous bloating stopped.

Relief weakened Green's limbs but nonetheless, he stood and approached Black.

Some hours later, Charmeleon grunted and turned over, his shoulders hurt. He felt bones jutting out of his scapula and poking against his skin. A dampness bloomed on his cheek and he twitched, trying to swat the annoyance away. Depleted from the delicate task of saving N and Black from the brink of death, the dragonoid forcefully ate a huge apple, tongue stinging from the acrid taste, and slept with the faint throb of the dungeon's heartbeat ringing in his ears. Growling, Oak swiped the air and heard a little giggle, ignoring the irritating sound, he rolled over, determined to catch another hour of sleep. Unfortunately, the moisture on his cheek grew wet and he bolted awake to see Black snickering deviously and hopping away. Searching through the bag, N brought out a handful of berries and tottered closer to the groggy Green. "Thank you for saving us," Zorua wagged his tail, "I remember how much you called us and told us to snap out of it. The berry juice helped but it was still difficult." N smiled gratefully and pushed the multicolored fruits in Oak's lap.

"Yeah, you didn't hit me or smack me unconscious," Black twittered and sprung in circles. "I can't believe I was chewing up the walls." He grimaced. "They look disgusting." The piglet imitated retching noises. "By the way, where is senior Red? Isn't he with you?"

A spasm of pain stabbed Green's gut. Hunger pangs. Holding his breath, Charmeleon painfully swallowed a handful of berries. The fruits tasted like acid and mold. "We split up to search for you two," Oak rasped and clambered to his feet. "We have to find him quickly; Red is in a worse shape than I am." He frowned when N asked him on the whereabouts of the seed pokemon. "I don't know, we parted ways at an intersection." Green absentmindedly checked his dirt encrusted nails. "We have to follow the trail of withered leaves."

The trio found a path of dehydrated petals right after they exited the chamber. Resolve renewed, Black and N shot off, eager to prove themselves. The two monsters ran across the tiles, not bothering to check where they went, if they collided head first into an enemy, which happened way too often for N's tastes, Tepig roasted them with a fireball. Zorua admired his friend's growth, Black did not have any difficulty acting and thinking like a pokemon but he, N, struggled with basic tasks. The feeling of needle teeth sliding into flesh was not a pleasant one and a sense of wrongness hung over the fox pokemon's mind. Shaking free of worrisome thoughts, he halted at an intersection and glanced helplessly at Black. In front of them, four tunnels diverged to cardinal points. Half a minute later, Green caught up to them and stared at the crossroads of muted orange and wrinkled brown leaves. Claws nervously wringing the strap noosing around his neck, Charmeleon shuffled around the corridor entrances, brain whirring. Sitting in the middle of the intersecting enclosure and seemingly unconcerned, Black played with the leaves, blowing them across the concrete field.

"He's gone," Oak finally concluded after a moment of agonized pacing. "There is not enough time to search so we'll go without him." Black's head snapped up in alarm. "If we wait here, we'll starve ourselves, Gluttony's trial is a maze." A tense silence stretched between the trio and Green sunk to the ground.

* * *

Morning

Dungeon of Gluttony

Underground maze

"Lost who?" A voice echoed. "Didn't you find them?" Red crawled out of the southern hallway; Black yelped in glee and immediately tackled the plant type, rubbing his face affectionately against the seed monster's toxic skin. Green's features shifted, morphing from sweet relief, to embarrassment and finally settling on feigned indifference. "Eh, so you found them, from your monologue, I thought you watched them die." Venusaur wound thin vines around Black and N and tossed them over his shoulder, they landed in a tiny field of half wilted herbs. "Okay, so I got some good news," in spite of the lassitude on his face, Red's scarlet irises shone, "I found the throne room...and" he trailed off, "...Are you mad at me?" he asked and bent to examine Green's face. "Your face is frozen."

The fire type blinked. "Mad?" he questioned. "No, I'm not mad," he replied. "I'm not mad that you abruptly decided to split up and head your own way despite knowing you could die at any given moment. I'm not mad because I found those two gnawing on inedible things, one foot already in the cycle of rebirth and I coaxed them into eating something. Sure, I'm not mad because afterwards, the three of us spent a lot of time following your stupid leaf trails," Charmeleon stabbed his claw through a leaf and gestured to the piles carpeting the ground, "and we came across this. I nearly gave myself a stomach ulcer because I thought we lost you and we will have to continue without you," he ranted and the flame on his tail roared. "I'm not angry, just so relieved I want to burn your bud to a crisp…but you don't have a bud anymore." Red laughed heartily and poked Green's chest with a vine. "Stop that," the dragon grouched, "and lead us to the throne room; I'll be happy once we get out of this stinking place with our sanity and limbs intact."

As the quartet drew closer to the throne room, the heart throbs intensified in volume and feeling. Red led the band backwards, going out from a series of smaller tunnels and spilling into larger corridors. The hallways converged as one and finally, the group stopped before a blast door sealed with a crisscross of chains, helical gears and stainless steel spokes. Looping his vine through a chain, Venusaur tugged, expecting the metallic link to remain fastened, instead, the chain broke easily and the gears ground into motion. Sparks flew and with a mighty sigh, the door opened to pitch blackness. Inhaling, Venusaur entered and the rest followed, shuffling, bumping and whispering complaints; Green brought up the rear and as he stepped in the room, the gate swung shut. A heartbeat echoed in tune with the muted bang and Red held his breath, listening to the deafening throbs.

"I feel blind...Is it possible for any place to be so dark?" Venusaur questioned and tried to locate his companions. "Green, can't you make your tail flame brighter? I can barely see you." A grunt to his left signified the dragon but no light burst forth. "What's going on?" Red tried to keep the panic out of his voice, but the lack of light frightened him.

Seated on the floor and staring blankly in the darkness, Black piped up, voice devoid of emotion. "He's eating the light."

"What?" Red sputtered, thrown off by the monotonous tone used by the normally bubbly piglet.

"He's eating the light," Black repeated. "Like a black hole. A black hole is a region of space with such a dense gravitational field, that nothing can escape it, not even light or radiation." In the background, Red warbled something unintelligible. "The dungeon master is eating the light." Tepig got to his feet and shook his head. "Uh...can't see," he moaned and flinched when the room suddenly flooded with bright, brilliant light.

* * *

 **A/N:** Speaking of food, I'm hungry and this chapter made me loose my appetite. But whatever. Poor N, having to put up with all these insane people. At Jack54311: Black started without them because his memories were stolen by the sea, if you remember, he was staring at the ocean, getting mind-wiped. It is him and not him, I often asked myself what makes a person a person, their memories? I liked writing Melody and how the guild master's death affected her.

Please read and review people, and thanks to all those who liked and favorited the story, Mango iced tea to y'all.


	24. Curiosity is gluttony

**Curiosity is gluttony. To see is to devour**

Sock clad feet glided over a wooden veranda. A maid, clad in a pale blue kimono, quickly swerved out of the way and bowed to the young master clutching a leaflet to his chest and hurrying down the wraparound porch. Afternoon sunlight speckled the stone steps leading to the home and turning a sharp corner, he arrived at a set of double sliding doors. Though Father specifically instructed not to be disturbed at his particular hour, the letter crumpled in Vorax's grasp could not wait. Strands of oiled hair escaped his messy topknot; he irritably shoved his hair behind his ears and inhaled. The arcanine guarding Father's private study was nowhere to be seen and after bowing to the rice paper partition, Vorax murmured an apology and slid the door apart.

His father froze with a pair of chopsticks halfway to his mouth and Vorax relaxed, at least he did not disturb the older man in the middle of work. The boy stepped inside and bowed again, the smell of musk incense permeated the room and a wall scroll fluttered; as he walked closer and bent to place the half-crumpled letter on the low wooden table, his eyes strayed to the plate. Vorax petrified, unable to look away from the meal. A ball of bitter bile rose in his throat and he swallowed to control his nausea. The ceramic platter held a roasted human arm, skin slightly charred and curled fingers pointing upright, the elbow area missed flesh and bone glinted underneath. Slowly, Vorax met his father's eyes and they flashed murderously.

"Get out," Father commanded in a whisper but the words hit the young boy like a typhoon. Taking one last, terrible glance at the arm and mumbling an apology, he scrambled out of the room, slid the door shut and jumped when the guarding arcanine barked. Giving the fire pokemon a rub under its chin, the boy stumbled back to his sparse room and flopped on the futon. His topknot unraveled and a curtain of chin length hair fanned against the pillow. Vorax stared at the ceiling and closed his eyes; his heart throbbed and the image of a roasted arm, refused to leave him.

The following morning he woke up from a nightmare.

He played in the kitchen, dancing around the earthen stoves with his trusty partner, Treecko. The head cook, a kindly lady with wrinkles around her mouth, told them to play outside but the pair refused to listen. The wood gecko shot up the wall and ran across the ceiling; it detached from the roof and fell into a simmering pot of stew. Horrified, Vorax peered into the cast iron pot and recoiled when he saw a dozen human hands, their flesh melting into the gravy. His father walked in, wearing a bright red kimono jacket and ladled some of the stew in a porcelain dish, he passed it on to Vorax and commanded:

"Eat."

Gasping, the boy wiped sweat from his brow and stroked his little wood gecko; Treecko trilled happily and disappeared through a crack between the door.

The dining room overlooked the garden and as Vorax settled on a floor cushion, he gazed at the weeping willow rooted beyond the doors. Lance shaped leaves fell into the pond below and sent multiple ripples clashing across the still surface. It unnerved him. Folding his hands on his lap, the boy waited patiently for his parents and they arrived a second later. He quickly looked down, feigning interest in his pleated pants instead of the thunderous expression on Father's face. Mother sailed in; trailing a harried maid desperately pulling a kimono over the lady's half bared shoulders. Her curtain of hair stuck in ratty stands and Vorax could not bear to look at her. Both parents sat on opposite pillows and at once, his mother screeched for her lute. A male servant stammered apologies and presented a varnished instrument to her whilst a pair of maids arranged breakfast on the table. Father and Vorax ate, the latter taking care not to meet the former's eyes and Mother screeched an old folk song, the words so warbled, the young boy did not understand. He polished the last morsel of rice and fish, uttered a prayer of thanks to Ho-oh and excused himself. Skipping to his room, Vorax dived on the messy futon to catch Treecko and after securing it in the safety of his sinewy arms; he grabbed a fishing pole from his closet and strode out of the compound.

The outskirts of Blackthorn City contained beautiful streams and as he ambled to his favorite spot, a ledge overlooking a valley plunging into a gorge of white, frothing water, the boy looked back and frowned. He still could not believe what he witnessed in Father's private study, was it a hallucination? Pale grey clouds streaked the sky and a tiled, trapezoid roof punctured the skyline. The Blackthorn family crest glittered on top and the same insignia stamped his slightly scruffy jacket. The gold thread glinted mockingly. Huffing, he trudged, his sandals skidding against gravel and soiling pristine white socks. He flung his fishing pole between two low growing berry bushes and lay on a stretch of wild grass. The blades pricked his back. Slowly, a smile broke across his face and he hummed. A large dragon flew across the skies and he followed the peach furred dragonite with a pair of silver eyes. Dragon Tamer. His spirits sank at the thought of following Father's footsteps; Vorax wanted to be a fisherman, but everyone in his family sneered at his dream and the disappointment in Father's icy blue irises became a crushing weight on the young master's chest.

Muttering, he angrily stripped the berry bush and crammed the fruits in his mouth. The under ripe berries tasted sour and his tongue sizzled, juice dripped down his chin and stained his hakama a bright blue. Rubbing at the stubborn spots and spreading it further, Vorax played with Treecko, a gift from his grandmother and abhorred by most of the members of the Blackthorn clan, and fell asleep under the sun.

Waking up to an overcast sky, he groggily stared at the clouds. Deciding it will not rain after all, he grabbed the fishing pole and shrilled for Treecko, the wood gecko climbed to his neck and settled there. Singing cheerfully, he walked down a well-trodden path, brushing his fingers across sandy boulders and glittering feldspar. Hopping on a wooden jetty, whose weather beaten planks creaked dangerously with each step, Vorax skipped to the end and sat down, uncaring if a stray, rusted nail ripped a new hole in his silk shirt. Mother won't notice anyway. He cast the fishing pole in the stream and pouted when his stomach growled loudly. Nonetheless, the young boy waited, swinging his legs in anticipation..

Hours flew by; a stiff gale whipped his hair and tossed the water in choppy waves. Undeterred, the boy waited. He had a mastery of patience. After the skies cleared and sunlight slanted through gaps of galloping clouds, Vorax felt a tug on his fishing line. Heart leaping to his mouth in excitement, he hauled with all his might when the tug grew fiercer. Laughter echoed from the rocks and with spray hitting his face, he pulled, delighted by the challenge. The rope snapped out of the water and he tumbled backwards, landing on his behind. A flash of light reflected off pairs of beautiful fins and a goldeen flapped on deck, opening and closing its mouth desperately. Dusting his pants, Vorax poked the gasping fish and it wriggled uselessly. His mouth tilted downwards, he forgot to bring a bucket for the fish. Squatting next to the water type, he lovingly touched its rice-white, frilly fins and traced them to the center, where the appendage turned a ruby red, like the jewels set into Mother's ornate hair combs. Goldeen gasped one more time and went limp, alarmed, Vorax scooped the fish in both hands and spoke, imploring it not to die.

And suddenly, he envisioned his father stuffing the fish into his mouth.

Disgusted but unable to tear his eyes away from the goldfish feebly squirming in his cupped hands, the boy raised his arms and gently licked the fish. It tasted a bit like salt and seaweed. Growing bolder, he nibbled on the fish and grimaced when a tang of metal stained his tongue. A tiny quantity of pale red blood dribbled from the bite and Vorax licked his lips.

He grinned.

 _Delicious._

Blackthorn Clan's branch family masters sat in two neat columns, one on either side of Vorax. The young man absentmindedly stroked his Kingdra and the water type affectionately poked him in the ribs. Servants swamped in the elaborate meeting hall, bowing, apologizing and placing food in front of the respective branch heads. A silk screen, depicting Ho-oh perched on the Brass tower, golden talons curved on the glittering spire, spanned behind Vorax. On adjacent sides, smaller screens depicted Entei, Raikou and Suicune. The current master of Blackthorn Clan smiled thinly when his guests eyed the food with repulsive shock. Hair gleaming in the light of paper lanterns, Vorax picked a pair of lacquered chopsticks, gave thanks for the food and the clan members echoed the prayer, without further ado, he delicately picked a piece of meat dripping with sauce and shoveled it inside his mouth. The closest branch master paled and stared at his dish like it contained poison; Vorax smiled and encouraged him to eat.

"Lord Vorax," the man quaked, "could you tell us what this is?" He pointed to a porcelain bowl piled high with cubes of meat, instead of an appetizing brown; the meat tinted a pale orange. Sauce and sesame seeds trickled down the cubes and the man simply stared, mildly disturbed.

Vorax set his chopsticks down. "Dragonite meat," he declared and watched a ripple of horror pass through his clan mates. "The meat is tough and stringy, but I assure you, it is most delectable to the palate." Ignoring the aghast expressions, he focused on his lunch. No one spoke, no one admonished the master on his sloppy eating, instead, the members quickly put their utensils down and folded their hands on their lap. "Eat," the silver eyed man, rice grains stuck to his lips, ordered. Yet, no one dared to move.

Outside the doors, servants fiddled with their clothes and cast anxious glances. Their once young master, who loved to fish and walk around the wraparound veranda with soiled socks and Treecko tucked in the crook of his arm, now demanded exotic dishes.

Too exotic. Roars of angry dragons and frightened, human shrieks, echoed from an underground cellar.

Inside the meeting room and legs growing numb from sitting on the tatami mat, a branch head raised his head and dared to meet Vorax's silver tinted eyes. "My Lord," the youngster said, back straightening when the master of the house eyed him vindictively, "this is preposterous" the branch leader spread his hands, pointing to the various food articles placed in front of him. "The Blackthorn clan cannot keep this a secret any longer, the commoners and other nobles will find out!" A wave of heated whispering followed his words and Vorax frowned, displeased to be distracted from his eating. "Imagine what a laughing stock we would be if the Zephyr clan found out about your cannibalistic te-" The moment he mentioned those words, the air grew electric. Sitting on a raised dais at the head of the room, the lacquered chopsticks clattered from Vorax's slender fingers. He pointed to the young offender and Kingdra rocketed away, eager to please. "M-my Lord, please, I mean no disrespect I-" Razor sharp fins tore through the man's neck and he gurgled, spilling blood over muted blue pants. The people ignored the rasping sounds and focused on their laps. With a beseeching groan, the man flopped over and a string of blood pooled on his empty plate.

Silence reigned.

"I trust no one has any objections?" Vorax demanded and the clan members shook their heads. The master smiled cruelly. "Then eat," he ordered and the extended family gingerly poked their food.

The Zephyr tribe leader lounged in a minimally decorated room inside the Blackthorn mansion and wondered what he did here. It was no secret that the families avoided each other because a slight misunderstanding often lead to an inter-clan war. The man observed his skarmory peck at a bonsai tree he snapped his fingers, recalling the bird. Sunlight sifted through a pair of rice paper doors pained with a weeping willow and when the entrance slid apart to reveal Vorax with a dragonair coiled around his shoulders, the clan leader inclined his head in a greeting. The Blackthorn family master appraised his guest and smirked. His visitor possessed a lithe frame and short, choppy strands of cobalt hair framed a thin face. His inkwell irises glinted in mild curiosity. The two men sat opposite each other and Vorax wanted to lean forward and brush the sleeves of silk away from the guest's forearms; he wanted to see if the meat contained any fat. Fortunately for him, the Zephyr clan master reached up to sweep fingers through his hair. Instead of seeing an ornate dagger hidden in the man's sleeve, Vorax zeroed in on the arms, pale, lean and not too bony. A shiver ran down his spine and he grinned behind his fan. His guest will make a perfect stew.

Removing the jade dagger from his silk cloak, the Zephyr clan leader placed the weapon on the low table; he did not miss the ravenous look in his host's eyes. For a long time, strange rumors surrounded the twenty third Dragon tamer, about how the Lord loved to eat grossly extravagant meals. "I heard you are a food critic," the blue haired man stated and a subtle tick of Vorax's right eye belied anger, however, he grinned enigmatically.

"Yes," Vorax replied, craning his neck, to see the silver of skin hidden underneath the visitor's luxurious scarf. "I asked my household to serve you an exotic dish; I hope you are fond of birds."

The man inhaled sharply and glanced at skarmory, dozing on a raised wooden perch. "That is most generous of you," the clan leader hissed through gritted teeth and the door opened to reveal a maid. "In return for your excellent hospitality, I present you with the finest rice wine." He nodded to the servant and she bowed humbly before loosening the ornamental ropes knotting around the jar. Vorax watched her keenly. She peeled the wax seal and poured the liquid in small cups. "To an alliance!" The cobalt haired master declared and poured the wine down his throat. Suspicions diminished, Vorax eagerly drunk his own share, slammed the little bowl on the table and demanded for more, he had yet to taste such refined spirits. The maid poured him a second serving and he gulped the sweet liquid, registering a faint burn at the back of his throat. "Please drink to your fill," the visitor offered and dismissed the girl with a flick of his wrists. Throat burning but not about to give up the tart taste of the finest wine in the region, Vorax held his cup in both hands, eyes wild and demanding.

One hour later, a teenage boy, cradling a kingdra wrapped in bandages, eyed the two men keeled over the wooden table. Shifting the water dragon into the crook of his left arm, he knelt next to the Zephyr clan leader and gently touched his shoulder, the visitor snapped awake, hands deftly snatching the dagger and poised to strike. "My Lord, is it done?" he questioned solemnly and the guest nodded and lowered his blade. "You… have my utmost gratitude," the boy choked, reached deep into the folds of an azure kimono and extracted a rolled scroll. "Here is your payment, I apologize for asking you to commit such an atrocious deed, but it could not be helped." The clan leader eyed the scroll, eyes tracing over the golden, Blackthorn Family crest. "I submit to you our main family and all our assets; we shall relocate to Violet city and become part of the Zephyr clan." The boy's voice came in gravelly gasps and he bowed so low, his nose brushed the mat. "Once again, you have my utmost gratitude, please accept this." He held out the scroll.

"No." The guest hid the dagger and rose, clapping a hand to his mouth and retching. "I will be fine, I only drank one cup." He waved the boy's worries away. "I do not want the reward," the Zephyr clan leader pointed to the dead Dragon tamer, "simply promise me you will not grow up to be like your father." The child nodded, eyes shining with tears. "Good...that is good enough for me." He swayed and faltered out of the room. Alone with his dead and salivating father, the young master buried his face in Kingdra's badly burnt body and wept.

* * *

Morning

Dungeon of Gluttony

Underground maze

The harsh pulse of light left the trial goers temporarily blinded. Blinking the grey specks out of his vision, Black's chocolate irises trailed upwards, past the shiny, split hoof of the dungeon master and up his shins. The piglet's gaze lingered on the sharp, sharp blades encircling the Boss' midsection and the way light edged away from it, as if scared it would be cleaved in half. At long last, the roaming glance stopped at Bisharp's maw and here, Tepig smiled guiltily. Speared on the bisharp's blade hand, a luvdisc, not quite dead, quivered violently. It squirmed as Vorax licked the beast across its body, stopping short of its eye. The dark pokemon lovingly pressed his lips against the water type and luvdisc lay limp. Biting into the rose tinted flesh with a sinful moan, Bisharp chewed slowly and studied the trial goers; streamlets of pale pink fluid slid down his chin and plopped between his legs. Another blade hand veered to his mouth, a diamond wedged in his grasp. Unhesitatingly, he bit a sizable dent into the enormous jewel and leaned back, running a quicksilver tongue over glossy lips.

Like the rest of the dungeon, a collection of metallic implements made up Vorax's throne. The wing backed seat twinkled with a thousand pink diamonds and blood red garnets. A forest of spokes supported the seat and white hot silvers of light escaped the spikes and floated to the top, like a burnt scrap of paper. Bisharp caught these ivory leaves and stuffed them inside his mouth, and at once, the room plunged into a horrific darkness. The discordant heartbeat resonated from the throne and with each thump, a flare of light absconded its spoked prison. Red studied the rest of the room. The throne chamber appeared like a cage constructed of platinum bricks and smudged with soot; coiled chains, woven together with bones stripped of flesh, hid the actual ceiling. As far as he saw, the room lacked a light source.

His eyes swiveled back to the Boss and a queer feeling, not together unpleasant, roiled in his stomach. "Does anyone else feel oddly satisfied on seeing him eat?" Red questioned, heart drumming in anticipation when Bisharp crushed a vanillish and licked his hand blades free of ice. "...Guys?" Red prompted and spared a second to see his star struck companions staring at Vorax with a hungry, longing look. "Guess it's normal then." Venusaur decided and sank down to watch Bisharp caress a luvdisc before folding it and thrusting the entire creature inside his mouth.

A current of jealously arced Black's spine, he wanted to sit next to Vorax; no, he wanted to sit on Vorax's lap and feast alongside him. Tepig briefly wondered how the bisharp tasted and ran an anticipatory tongue around his snout. On the throne, Vorax paused in his dining and locked gazes with Tepig as he launched to his feet. He struggled up the steps and paused in front of the steel type. Bisharp flung a hydreigon carcass away and waited for the visitor. To his utter astonishment, Tepig leapt on his lap and slobbered a rough tongue all over his chest; throwing his head back, Vorax guffawed and the blade resting a top of his helmet, gleamed in dim light.

"Black?!" Trance shattered, N screeched fearfully, he turned pleadingly to Green.

Oak clicked his tongue in annoyance, clearing the steps with a nimble leap, his palms ignited. On the throne, Vorax, holding Tepig, belted an ear shattering screech. Clapping flaming palms to his ears, Green dropped and rolled off the platform. Worried, N charged, like Black, his small legs proved to be an obstacle when scaling the stairs but his fur stood on end and opposite him, Bisharp leapt out of his chair and cradled Tepig, eyes betraying fear. Zorua grinned, poison was the glutton's bane. Toxicroak sprang on the throne and the dungeon master flung a heavy chain at it. The metallic links landed squarely on N's rump and the illusion dissolved. Calming, Vorax marched down the steps and without looking, sliced a bunch vines coursing his way. He jumped over invasive plants and swerved, avoiding seed bombs. Grinning thinly, he flashed past Red, stuck his blade into the plant type's skull and slashed across the flank, stopping short of ripping the hind leg off. Venusaur convulsed and a deluge of olive blood wept from the fatal wound. On the floor, Green rocked to his feet and avoided a hoof shaped dent to his skull. Next to Vorax's metallic chest and looking too comfortable, Black nibbled on the ghost's waist blades and crooned happily.

The fire dragon swallowed a hiss of pain, his shoulders were killing him. Darting to the right, he led Vorax away from a hemorrhaging Red and focused on separating Black from Vorax. A dark lump moved near the throne and twisting so Bisharp could not anticipate an attack from the side, Green blew a line of fire. Amused by the flames, Vorax smothered them with a dark pulse. Rotating, the sword blade pokemon brought up an arm to shield himself from an attacking crobat. The bat dipped and looped between Vorax's slashes and flew out of reach every time the trial master lunged for a stab. N, sitting on top of the throne, screwed his eyes shut and exertion dampened his fur. Projecting an illusion was far more taxing than simply folding light around his body, however, he persisted and crobat flitted intermittently.

Forgetting about Black dangling from his waist, Vorax tailed the poison bat vengefully. His throat burned and he chased, wanting to put an end to the burdensome zorua and its bag of light bending tricks. Preoccupied with his aerial foe, Bisharp failed to see a crisscross of vines at knee level, he rushed into the net and face planted on the metallic floor. The crobat in the air disappeared and he turned into an accelgor, snatching Black and diving to the side as Green somersaulted, landing on the trial master's back and tearing its helmet off. Holding on to Black, N sped off as a fireball exploded behind him and Charmeleon scampered out of the blast radius. The residual heat melted the chains hanging on the ceiling and a droplet of liquid metal rained on Red's back.

"Did we defeat him?" he wearily asked and healing sap encrusted his wounds.

A giggle escaped the blackened Vorax and N held Black tighter. The sword blade pokemon rose from the floor and the trial goers stepped backwards.

"He looks naked without his helmet," Black piped and the Boss glared at him, eyes shrinking into displeased pinheads.

"I badly want to toss Black to Vorax so he could give us a free ticket to the warp portal." Green glowered at Tepig. "But Red said no." Fire wreathed his fist. "The offer still stands though, don't tempt me, Piglet," Oak barked and clubbed Vorax with a ball of flames. Determined to help and not simply wag his tail in distress, N tossed Black to Red and took to the skies as a dustox. Again, Bisharp ignored the bigger threat and pounded after the insect, slashing the air wildly. His blade cut through dustox's fluttering wings and the insect changed into a snake and wrapped around Bisharp. Terror closed his throat and Vorax petrified when arbok opened its hood and hissed menacingly.

Droplets of purple poison oozed from the fangs and Vorax paralyzed. A forked tongue flickered in and out of paper thin lips and after debating with himself; N bent low and sunk his jaws into Bisharp's neck. Yellow fangs dug into metal and the trial master's strength ebbed from his body.

He melted into a puddle of silver metal.

The quartet lined in front of the throne and waited for Vorax to reform. In a few seconds, streamlets of quicksilver ran from the wing backed chair and Vorax reclined on the seat, munching on a handful of garnets. Bisharp eyed N distastefully, crunching on the last of his gemstones, he fixed the four with a meaningful stare. "Listen closely; everything in this room is edible," Vorax began and Black nodded enthusiastically. "Even I am edible. But that would be called cannibalism and it is looked down in most societies." Zorua poked Tepig in the cheek, whispering fiercely. "There is a warp portal behind you." The trial boss indicated the glowing tile. Trudging back to the blinking square, Venusaur complained about the lack of sunlight and exchanging small talk, the band stepped on to the platform and teleported.

The room they warped to did not resemble the dungeon entrance or the vestibule. Hungry and angry, Red rotated, wincing when a wavelet of pain radiated from his wound. A palatial chamber stretched in front of him and red stone columns disappeared into a murky ceiling. The walls consisted of black marble so shiny, it hurt his eyes. Still gawking, he opened his mouth and fired off a question, "Where the heck are we?" His stomach rumbled and the sound echoed unceasingly.

"You are in my domain," a voice responded and whilst the rest of his team mates turned to scrutinize the new comer, Red petrified. The sinister tone sounded very familiar, it was the same velvety voice he heard in his nightmares. "Welcome," a single, cyan eye glowed in a nebulous of black and the cloud frothed into shape, "to the Palace of Nightmares."

* * *

The black cloud formed into tattered cloak. Claws extended from the main body and a necklace of bones kept Darkrai's mouth hidden from view. "Y-you." Red choked, heartbeat blaring in his ears. "Why are you-" A palm smashed in his mouth, cutting the rest of the question off. Squatty legs lifted off the ground and hurtling through the air, Venusaur smashed into a marble wall with gold accents. Spider web cracks snaked from the collision and flecks of olive green blood splattered the mirror-esque walls. Red sucked in a breath, bracing for impact as Darkrai hammered his skull. Each blow shattered his cranium and left a blooming, purplish bruise.

A roar exploded in the background. Clobbering Red on the jaw with the back of his clawed hand, Darkrai spun, a sable blur, and lashed at Green. Charmeleon back flipped but victory became short lived as the pitch black pokemon seized the base of his tail and flung him cleanly across the room. Whizzing across granite tiles, Oak blanched when Darkrai appeared behind him, gathering an orb of shadows in his claw. He clubbed Green's head and the dragon crashed into the tiles, gasping when the nightmare offshoot landed on him and wedged a shadow hand inside Charmeleon's nose and mouth. A flamethrower burst out of his throat and Darkrai recoiled. In a split second, Oak engulfed the dark type in an inferno. Instead of waiting to see if his attack did any damage, he sprinted across the floor. Scooping the quivering N and Black, he located a pillar and dashed for it. An ominous wind blew on his nape but Green tightened his grip and ran, clawed feet clinking on the granite surface.

Brushing flames off his ragged cloak, Darkrai observed Charmeleon frantically protect two young pokemon. He smiled, fascinated at the dragon gripping two squirming, pale as bone monsters. To the left lay Red, too dazed to comprehend his surroundings; a throb or white hot anger flowed through the pitch black pokemon and he forcibly restrained his desire. First, Venusaur must suffer and what better way to achieve that than slaughtering his friends before his eyes? Leisurely, Darkrai stalked Green who dropped the un-evolved monsters in the shadow of a large pillar and rushed back. Steam whirled away from his body. Eye crinkling in delight, the nightmare legendary continued floating to the pillar and Oak paused, waiting for the dark type to attack him, however, the ghost merely hovered closer to Black and N and Green tore across the ground, screaming threats.

"Don't touch them!" he screeched and dragged his claws across the floor, trailing a flurry of vibrant, orange sparks. "Or I'll tear your limbs and feed them to you!" Body writhed in flames, he descended on the nightmare beast but the ghost simply teleported away and Green dropped head first on the stone floor. Disinterested in the skull shattered fire dragon, Darkrai turned his attention to the pair quavering in his shadow.

 _A zorua,_ he mused, _how interesting._

Extending a large claw, the legendary brushed Tepig under the chin and the piglet fell back, eyes heavy with sleep. Frightened out of his mind, N clamped teeth on his companion's tail, hoping pain will mitigate the hypnosis, alas, Black toppled sideways and Zorua flinched when the cyan eye pivoted to him. Darkrai loomed, hands outstretched in an almost welcoming gesture. Addled, N concentrated on changing his shape but the legendary chuckled and pushed closer. Eyes sealed shut, Zorua felt shadows poking into his ruffled fur and sinking into his skin, his muscles, his brain. His mouth frothed, his tail snapped into an award angle and Darkrai smiled, pleased with the progress, one hand veered to his necklace of bones, perhaps he should introduce N to a nightmare...

An acid green ball plowed through Darkrai and he placidly glowered as more cannoned through his body, leaving ragged, smoking holes. On the floor, Zorua lay in a foaming puddle saliva and the pitch black legendary whirled around only for his head to snap back as another energy sphere struck his face. The red collar cracked and he vanished when a barrage of luminous orbs tailed him. At the far end of the room, Red, bathed in blood and acid, struggled to his feet, crimson eyes crystalizing his wrath. The nightmare offshoot grinned and teleported around the room. Each time he materialized, vines or glowing projectiles tailed him vengefully. Venusaur rooted to the floor, sucking the area dry; Darkrai lamented how the granite floor crumbled under Red's bulk and the wall behind him, splintered into a screen of dust.

 _A screen of dust._

Frenziedly, Darkrai groped through the floating detritus, panic coursing through his veins when his hand met nothing. A dehydrated vine wrapped around his right arm and pulled, the legendary soared sideways, smashing into a scarlet pillar. Another tendril pinched his left arm and the vines yanked in opposite directions. Darkrai hissed softly and tried to keep himself together, but Red, fueled by rage, tugged harder and the dark type ripped in the middle with the sound of tearing parchment. Smoky coils wafted from the two halves and Venusaur pounded the remains on the black marble, stopping only when it puffed into sable smoke.

"I don't think...I killed him," Red panted. Green shoved a bottle of water in his friend's mouth and ran off to inspect the younger monsters. "We need to get out...of here. I dunno what he wants with us...I didn't even know a Palace of Nightmares existed." Each step forward felt like poking into an open cut, gritting his teeth and tasting chlorophyll tinged blood, Venusaur crawled towards the two unconscious pokemon and blasted a puff of lime green healing spores over them. Zorua's horror stricken visage mellowed into a semblance of a smile. "His tail is broken," Red wheezed. "When we get home..." he tried not to think about the impossibility of the situation, as far as he could see, the seamless chamber extended for miles. "Once we get home, I'll focus on fixing both of them...Right now, I'm tired." The surroundings tumbled around him and he shook his head for clarity; Green picked Tepig and scooted to the front, his arms felt hollow but he kept a firm grip on the slumbering piglet.

They walked for what seemed like hours. Muscles protesting against movement, the duo searched of the exit. At times, Red looked back, convincing himself that no shadows tailed him; he swallowed constantly, trying to soothe a parched throat.

A bloom of black smoke stopped them in their tracks. And dread pushed hunger aside in Venusaur's stomach.

"HOW?" he howled and stabbed the haze. "Why?!" Red demanded and sent a flurry of razor tipped leaves at the cloud, the leaves simply crumbled to the floor. Sucking a breath through clenched teeth, he looped a vine around Green's waist, thrust Zorua into the fire type's overloaded arms and sent the trio cartwheeling across the air and landing with a painful thump several meters behind him. "If you want to touch them, you will have to go through me." Red boiled when Darkrai's eye twinkled sadistically. "I tore you in half once and I can do more than that!"

The legendary floated, taking great pleasure at the worrisome thoughts galloping through his plant plaything's mind. "Oh can you?" he challenged. "Great hope always leads to great disappointment. Perhaps when you were still a human," Darkrai's lips curled, "then you stood a chance. Of course you did. Red, the glory of Kanto nation. Red, the child champion." His voice dropped into a velvety murmur. "Red, the criminal lynchpin, the murderer and destroyer..." Venusaur shook his head vehemently, but the pitch black pokemon was determined to complete the sentence. "Red, the scum of human society." The nightmare beast finished and the prim grin wore off. He made a beeline for the other pokemon and Green, the sinfully loyal dragon, guarded the Tepig and Zorua. Who did Red care for now again? A twisted smile graced the legendry's face, right, his best friend and those two beastlings.

Green prepared himself for pain, not for a question. "Why do you follow him?" Darkrai stopped a few paces away and asked, Oak blinked away surprise and opened his mouth to cough up a thousand reasons.

"I don't know," he blurted, livid at his spontaneous response. "He...It just feels natural to be by his side." The dragon inhaled, trying to come up with a redeeming response. "Red is my best friend." _Friend?_ "And...While we were alive he was...Is my closest companion. He was a... noble" _Noble?_ "...Person."

"You don't remember," Darkrai accused, lips pulling into a humorless smile. "Noble? I hardly think so." He snorted and weaved to the side when a gout of flames erupted from the enraged dragon. "You follow him mindlessly, you always have, but that is none of my business." An orb of shadows writhed between Darkrai's claws and it burst. Eroding waves rolled outwards Green spat fire, struggling to keep the ebony tides at bay. The dark pulse ate through his flickering flame barrier and slammed into his chest. Leaving him drained of energy. Oak crouched to his knees when Darkrai materialized over him and begged for mercy. _Mercy_. The previous hatred, flared in the dark type's heart and he seized the dragon by his neck, slamming him into the adjacent wall. Bones shattered whilst Green arced his back and screamed. Jerked back to reality, Red whipped around to see Darkrai's cloak extending. Shadows spilled inside teeth gaps and oozed down his friend's throats.

Articulating a final, ear splitting shriek, Green abruptly stopped flailing and lay limply on the floor.

Late afternoon

Gehenna

Palace of Nightmares

Even through the dragon lay inert, Darkrai did not relinquish his grip. In the periphery, Red stood in the corridor, petrified by fear. Charmeleon's hide grew feverishly hot, steam blasted out of his nostrils and other orifices. Flakes of dead, cinnabar skin flaked off his body and a second bone pierced out of his head, leaving steaming blood in its wake. Bone crackled, Green's jade eyes snapped open and something forcibly propelled him off the ground. He pitched forward, roaring when his back tore to reveal a pair of slimy, webbed wings. A thick, flame tipped tail flogged Darkrai's flank and he let go, materializing behind N and Black. Clambering to his feet clumsily, Green extended his wings and they scythed through the marble walls. Elongated neck wobbling, he gingerly lowered himself and blasted fire; the nightmare legendary negated the attack with a ghost claw and ripples of flames singed his cloak. Behind them, Red cheered in sweet relief. Lurching forward on unsteady steps, Charizard flapped his wings and the resulting tempest almost blew the legendary pokemon away.

Almost, but not quite.

An iron ball crashed into Green's still bruised abdomen and fell back on the floor, unable to get up. Simmering, the pitch black pokemon plugged his hand inside Oak's maw and wedged it there, the rest of his billowing cloak extended into a heavy net and nailed Charizard to the ground. Red's relief evolved into untold despair and he hyperventilated, releasing spores with each heave. Pinning the asphyxiating dragon on the granite tiles, the nightmare beast floated to Red, a twisted smile inched across his face and he settled on Venusaur's back.

"You and your pathetic group of followers captured me!" Darkrai murmured angrily. "I was humiliated and outraged that humans devised a way to capture us...To contain us." The nightmare monster's voice sounded like silk sheets rustling against each other. "US!" he thundered, "legendary pokemon designed to keep the world in balance. You puny, insignificant humans dare to capture us in little capsules?! You dare to arrogantly smirk and watch me fume in that little purple ball of yours?" Far from them, Green struggled; beating his wings and shattering the floor but Darkrai disregarded the disturbance and increased the pressure in his chokehold. "Where is that self-satisfied smirk now, Red?" Venusaur helplessly watched his friends writhe in agony. "The creation legendries," here, the ghost's face contorted furiously, "forbade us from wrecking your wretched existences, Lord Arceus would vaporize us if we rose in revolt against humans." A hint of a demented smile formed in the smoky canvas of Darkrai's face. "But here in my domain, I am free to do what I want," he whispered huskily and Red gulped. "And I am free to use you as I see fit."

"No. Please...Don't," The plant type whimpered and an oppressive weight sat on him. "Let them go, they have nothing to do with this," Red pleaded.

The nightmare legendary shook his head. "They gathered around you and that alone dooms them to my whims." The seed monster moaned piteously and begged. "However, if you are willing to spend your entire life in my servitude...I may allow your friends to bypass the trials and go straight into the cycle of rebirth." Darkrai hummed silkily and grinned when Red paused to consider his decision. "Your tenacity and bottomless pit of greed are highly commendable and I shall temper you to an outstanding Trial Master."

 _Greed...Trial master_ , fear frothed in Red's chest, he could not think.

He could not speak.

Smoke poured from Green's nostrils and he craned his neck to see Venusaur subjected Darkrai's mind games. "No!" he implored. "Don't…he's just…" The dragon jerked in pain and gasped.

"Stop! Stop it! I'll do it," Red shrilled and Darkrai retracted his claws from Green. Charizard's tail thumped the ground in disbelief. "I'll do it," Venusaur repeated and the legendary smirked victoriously. "I'll become your new puppet, I'll do anything...Please...Just let them go."

The pitch black pokemon smiled behind his necklace of bones.

And stabbed Green right through his heart.

* * *

 **A/N:** Much thanks to all those who read and reviewed, chocolate cookies to all. At Jack54311: If you thought the previous chapter was disgusting, I present you with the first bit of this chapter: disturbing. Hopefully I didn't lose a reader along the way :P Diving in the sea? Yeah, the pokemon would probably turn into a vegetable although this is the first time I'm thinking about it.

As usual, constructive criticism and reviews are always appreciated.

 **Disclaimer:**

Title: Victor Hugo

Quote: Tim Burton


	25. Art

**Art**

Late afternoon

Gehenna

Palace of Nightmares

"No taking back on promises." Darkrai purred, relishing the fat teardrops in Red's eyes; the legendary pulled a black spoke out and a drop of orange-red blood splashed on Green's coat. "I remember him staring at me through the covering of the purple capsule." The pitch black pokemon examined the inert body. "And before that, he used my genetic information to create an abomination, a dark typing of Mewtwo," he hissed angrily. "Whilst I was trapped inside the ball, I almost succeeded in liquefying his mind, despite his lack of emotional responses, he cares very deeply about the people around him...He started crying when I strangled his dear grandfather in front of him." Darkrai's cyan eye narrowed and he added, "Unfortunately, his blonde female aide interrupted our session and tossed me back into a knapsack."

Venusaur jolted at the mention of a blonde female, the familiar name eluded him. The more he listened to the nightmare offshoot's velvety rambling, the more guilt churned his insides. He distinctly remembered Green's death was his, Red's, fault. Unable to muster the strength to speak, much less move, the seed monster merely asked, "So why...Did you kill him? I said I'll do your bidding...Why couldn't you just let them leave? And what about Black and N? Are you going to kill them too?" Red's mouth tasted bitter and his head ached, coagulated blood crusted the lattice of cuts enveloping his body.

The dark type smiled. "Do you want me to?" he questioned, his voice like water whispering over rocks. "I can arrange that." His eye twinkled when Red glowered at him. "I believe despair builds character. Do you know how the trial masters are chosen?" Venusaur shook his head. "I select them, strip them of everything they hold dear, and test them. Out of all the candidates, you however, are the strangest...no one else wept when I stabbed their companions in the chest."

A teardrop curved down Red's cheek and he sniffed resentfully.

This was not happening.

The corridor stretched, endless rows of bright red stone columns disappearing into a murky ceiling. Red approached his companions, too afraid of what he might see. The flame on Green's tail died and only a thin, lazy wisp of grey smoke curled from the appendage. Holding his breath, Venusaur pressed a vine against the dragon's shoulder, hoping to feel a comforting, burning sensation; instead, he met cold skin. Biting down a sob, he bent over the first stage pokemon, thankfully, their bodies were warm to the touch and their chest rose and fell, indicating life. Placing them together, he tore a handful of wilted lilies from his back and showered the blossoms on the ground. Glaring at the legendary, Venusaur wobbled down the corridor.

Darkrai teleported in front of him. "You amuse me."

"At least I provide entertainment," Red snarled. "Leave me alone...I want to grieve."

The pitch black pokemon grinned callously. "Funny, coming from someone deceiving their friends." Red paused at the accusation. "Of course you do not remember," Darkrai continued stonily. "You tampered with the distortion world because you wanted to revenge." He floated, enjoying the confusion and denial swimming in crimson irises. "You do not believe me? You strung the Poke-Dex holders, you brainwashed them into thinking they were creating a fairer, ideal world where children like them could live their dreams without the fear of being scorned. All the while, you harbored your own agenda which no one...Absolutely no one apart from you knew about. Yes," the legendary hissed softly, "not even your precious best friends." A cyan eye stared meaningfully at Green. "You were imprisoned by loneliness, stemming from the death of your parents, you played with the Distortion world in hopes that you could somehow bring them back to life and you did not care if the current Poke-Earth imploded in the process." Red shuddered, shook his head frantically and backed away. "You do not have to be alarmed, like I said, that sort of longing, greed…is commendable. I have yet to meet a human as cunning and wonderful as you." Darkrai complimented and ushered Red forward.

On the floor, N's ears twitched. The previous icy grip of fear, thawed into fury. So they died for this? For the scarlet eyed man's selfish desire of wanting to see his parents? The idea was so laughable Zorua did not know what to do. N never saw his parents; he was raised by pokemon and an excuse of a man parading as a father. The shape shifter swallowed, he did not want to rescue Red, he could turn into an immortal Dungeon Master for all N cared. A sardonic thrill went through the fox; perhaps the once ebony haired man deserved it.

 _But_...

Red's heartbroken wails throbbed against the walls and N's eyes teared. The venusaur denied and blubbered incoherently. Apologizing for actions he could not remember doing.

"I would never do that!" he howled weakly. "I...Would never..."

Shutting out his cries, N focused on the sleeping Black. Dragging himself forward, Zorua paused when an arc of pain rode up his spine; he blinked away tears and pressed a paw over Tepig's snout. The fire type's eyes grew wide in alarm but he did not utter a sound. "We need to distract Darkrai so senior Red can get away." N whispered, stomach dropping when he peered at the deathly still Green. "I don't think senior Green can help us at the moment...He is…unconscious." The tricky fox lied and nodded in the direction of the nightmare pokemon who swirled around Venusaur. "About Darkrai, defeating him is out of the question, we need to divert his attention."

Daring not to move, lest a tiny noise alert the legendary and spoil the element of surprise, Tepig questioned, "He's made of smoke, right?" N nodded. "Well...I can snort him up." Black flattened his ears when Zorua glared. "...I don't think anything will be able to damage him, he rules this realm remember? Although if you can project another legendary pokemon," Tepig strategized, eyes shining, "we might be able to keep him busy long enough so the seniors can punch a way out." Eyes hardening, N scrambled to his feet and shut his eyes, harnessing all his energy. A pool of shadows engulfed Black and when it peeled away, Entei roared. The shockwave of sound cracked the marble walls and near the end of the corridor, Darkrai whipped around, emotionless face morphing into a sardonic sneer.

 _Now what do we have here?_

An unearthly howl of rage exploded in Venusaur's ears and in a split second, the dark type legendary vanished from his side. Red did not quite believe what he saw; granite tiles melted under Entei's heavy paws and the majestic beast spewed lava from its mouth. Cringing from the tyrannical heat, the seed monster shambled backwards to escape cross fire. Fur rippling across muscles, the legendary fire monster leapt and wreathed through Darkrai's attacks with grace befitting Virizion, any cut the nightmare offshoot created on Entei's glossy coat, healed immediately. Splashes of lava dripped, melting stone like butter. Redirecting his attention away from the riveting battle of flames and ebony smoke, Red sought for his two, tiny companions and suddenly, it dawned on him. He located N hiding in the shadow of a colossal pillar; fur plastered with sweat. Giving Entei a wary eye and a wide berth, Venusaur hobbled over the intact piece of floor and newfound admiration for Black bloomed in his chest. A milky film covered Oak's vibrant, verdant irises and Red fiercely shook his head, he crouched near the fire type. Green was not dead...He could not be dead.

Alas, the freezing body and lifeless gaze stated otherwise.

A flash of insight colored Red's pale complexion into a healthy turquoise, muttering, he glanced at the battle and hoped Black could hold for a few more moments. Thrusting vines inside the bag, Venusaur groped impatiently and thereafter, dumped the contents to the floor. Gummis, a variety of berries, doughnuts and cookies, chocolate, orbs and seeds tumbled out. Impatient, he shook the satchel vigorously and a spiked crystal clattered to the floor. A max revive. Red grasped the flavescent crystal and pried Green's mouth apart, careful not to fracture any jaw bones. Inserting the crystal and snapping the maw shut, Venusaur scampered to safety, lest a ring of fire incinerate him into a fragrant pile of ash. Heart throbbing erratically, he hid behind a pillar and waited. The resurrection should not take long. However, seconds trickled into minutes and there was still no sign of life. Green's tail did not burst into flame and if possible, his hide dulled in color.

Away from the despairing plant type, N panted, he could not project the illusion any longer. Cracking an eyelid open, he saw Entei spearing Darkrai with a tongue of flame. A sly smile glinted in the nightmare pokemon's eye and he enjoyed the fight with a worthy adversary. Dark sweat stains blossomed on Entei's coat and his movements slowed. Lava did not melt the ground and his roars failed to crack bones. Rearing on his hind legs, Entei swiped a mighty paw against the pitch black pokemon's frayed cloak and the dark type dissolved into a haze of smoke. Velvet chuckles filled the room and the fire monster rotated its massive head, trying to pinpoint the voice. Amidst the nebulous, a single eye glittered and Entei rushed forward, determined to crush the eyeball under a set of ivory jaws. Instead, Darkrai teleported to a huffing N and rapped the fox sharply on his skull.

"Do not," the legendary pokemon admonished. "You will only shorten your lifespan and kill yourself." Entei puffed back into Black and crashed on a miraculously intact floor. The cracks in the walls and pillars disappeared and the nightmare offshoot grinned. "Although, I am impressed with your skill, when you evolve, you shall be a formidable monster." A shadowy claw wedged into Zorua's face. "Assuming you do manage to live that long," Darkrai softly stated and another part of his tattered cloak wrapped around Black. "I wanted to keep you two alive because Venusaur begged for mercy, unfortunately, you all displease me." A bundle of vines noosed the dark type around his smoky neck. "And what are you doing, Red?" the legendary asked and glowered at Venusaur. "Insolent beast, you dare-"

A solar beam blasted right through Darkrai and particles of light scattered through the palace. Red dropped to his knees, pressing his face against the refreshingly cool floor. He strained his eyes, searching for Darkrai and the dark type materialized so close, Venusaur could taste him. The legendary pokemon of nightmares tasted mind numbingly bitter, but for reasons unknown, the bitterness left a strange, sweet aftertaste behind.

Eyes glazed behind swollen eyelids, Venusaur watched Black and N dangling from twin chokeholds. He willed a vine to chop through their restraints but his body refused to obey. The younger beasts screamed, their high pitched voices slapped against the marble and corkscrewed into Red's head. Through their ear splitting cries, he heard the sound of snapping bone and the agonized yells resumed with new intensity. He felt their pain and forced his gaze to linger at their spasming figures. _Watch,_ he told himself, _watch what happens to those who grow close to you._

"Please stop..." His voice came out in a ghost's whisper. Perhaps the pitch black pokemon heard him.

Perhaps he did not.

But the smile gracing the dark type's face was tooth achingly sweet.

Sweet and sardonic.

And so very, very wrong.

"Darkrai." A voice thundered from the unknown and Red snapped awake. Darkrai stiffened, terror churning in his cyan eye. The palace of nightmares rippled. No, the space folded to reveal a gargantuan serpent's underbelly. Giratina's gold tipped head phased through the walls and he glared disapprovingly at the nightmare offshoot. "You are late for the family meeting," the Lord of the underworld boomed, his words crystal clear despite the golden mouth-guard. "And what are you doing?" the dragon queried and his question sent shivers racing up Red's spine. To his credit, Darkrai's grip on Black and N slackened and he gently dropped the two beasts to the floor.

The duo immediately scuttled away from him. "Tell Lord Dialga I'll be there in a second," the dark type replied stiffly.

"You are asking Dialga to _wait?_ " Giratina's tone suggested blasphemy.

Darkrai flinched. "It will take an atomic second, Father, please stall him, I will not take long. I need a moment to-"

"Do what?" the ghost serpent demanded and Red swore the pitch black pokemon's claws curled in fright. Giratina swept a strident gaze across the chamber; eyes lingering at Green's lifeless body and stopping at Red. "You..." the creation titan stated and Venusaur wanted to melt into the floor. His legs quivered, simply holding Giratina's fathomless stare sapped life out of him. "Darkrai, you are well aware that I do not tolerate such nonsense." A column, etched with symbols of the Unown, erupted next to Giratina and the palace's walls crumbled into shards of fine marble. "Release those prisoners and let them conclude their trial in the manner _I_ decreed. Cease your foolish attachments and come! Dialga grows impatient!" the renegade legendary commanded and his body floated backwards into the extraneous space.

"None of my other cousins are there!" Darkrai exploded and a charcoal black cloud billowed away from him. "Does Jirachi ever come to these meetings?" he demanded. "No. I do not even want to see Deoxys; he almost strangled me when I touched his core," the nightmare offshoot ranted. "You never let me visit the psychic trio and they kept me sane when I was captured by _him_." Darkrai pointed an opaque claw at Red who folded behind a pillar, desperate not to be seen by Giratina, he had little doubt that the Lord of Gehenna could vaporize him on command. "I found a friend in Wigglytuff, but because he made some careless pact with you, he misses a tribute and you zap him into oblivion." The dark type seethed, glaring at the creation titan with palpable hate. "No one comes near me because they are too afraid of the nightmares I inflict."

Giratina glowered and his offshoot quailed. "Jirachi spends most of his time sleeping and the moment you cradle him, his dreams erupts into nightmares. Palkia is never happy. If you want a companion that badly, go visit Cresselia."

The pitch black pokemon's smoky face twisted into disgust. "Despicable hag," he hotly whispered.

"Darkrai." Space rumbled when the renegade pokemon spoke, "I warned you not to grow any attachments; we do not divulge in such luxury." Giratina's eyes lingered on Green. "Return that beast's soul. If you are seeking companionship via such convoluted methods, you will never gain true trust. Return Charizard's soul and do it in front of me." The younger legendary hesitated, eye darting everywhere. "Now!" bellowed Giratina and Darkrai retrieved a bright green sphere from the folds of his cloak; he dragged a pair of stick thin legs over the mirror surface of his palace.

Resentment and defeat swirled in his glass blue eye. Bending down, he crushed the sphere in his claws. "I promised Latios a new soul dew," he muttered under his breath, too afraid to let his father hear. "I suppose I will not be visiting their island anytime soon." He sighed silkily. Acid green smoke wafted through Green's mouth and nose, a flame sparked on his tail and weak with relief, Red slid to the ground; he wanted to pat Darkrai on a job well done.

"Come, if Dialga does not de-age you into a pathetic whelp, consider yourself lucky," Giratina remarked and vanished. Moodily, Darkrai plodded after his father, pausing in front of Red who trembled uncontrollably. Reaching inside his cloak, the nightmare pokemon thrust a container of tar-esque liquid in the seed monster's vines and glared at him. The heat in his eye dissipated and left behind a weary loneliness.

Red held up the container quizzically. "It is an elixir," Darkrai informed with a nervous glance upwards. "If my father found out about it, he is going to vaporize me, you and everyone you care about," he hissed, "So make sure it stays hidden in a blanket of shadows."

Mistrust crept in Red's voice as he accused, "this looks like one of your liquefied nightmares, are you sure you aren't trying to kill Green when Lord Giratina isn't looking?"

A smile brought a twinkle back in the legendry's eye. "If it is indeed poison, I hope he dies," Darkrai scathingly commented. "Find your way out of this Palace." He evaporated, leaving a whisper echoing on air.

* * *

Morning

Treasure Town

Guild

On the guild's luxurious fourth floor, Melody hovered in circles. Sprawled on the dragon hide couch, Rooque interjected in her thoughts, "Mel, fretting about them is not going to bring them back." She paused and opened her eyes. "You are trying too hard to reach them, focus on one thing at a time alright? Don't strain yourself when your links are coming back." The guild rumbled from celebratory noises and in contrast, Rooque's heart sunk. A thin cord of battered leather hung around his body, bearing Team Emblem's crest and he could not bring himself to discard the worn pendant. "It's getting late, I have to send a team of rescuers into Lust and Gluttony," Rooque stated. "You handle training for a while." He glided off the couch, body trailing dust. Leaving Gothitelle to wring her hands, he slipped into the communal shower and steam blasted his vision. At the corner, small bubbles broke the surface of a stone tub full of water, Steelix's gaze lingered and he envisioned Wiggly soaking in the boiling water and commenting about the wonders of minerals. Sliding to one of the showers, he turned the tap with a diamond outcrop and watched the dirt on his body whirlpool down the drain.

The sound of running water momentarily deafened Melody. She floated to the sofa, dusted it free of debris and settled, telepathically hurling the coffee table closer. The ceramic mugs sitting on top of the glass top sloshed and yesterday's half-drunk coffee spilled over the edge. Grabbing a pad of paper and charcoal, Gothitelle unfolded a map and focused, trying to find four beasts. Vorax's trial spiraled on the tawny parchment; a mess of lines arranged and re-arranged themselves. Gritting teeth, Melody hurled a cup through the air and before it collided with Wigglytuff's garish door, she recalled the porcelain mug. The showers stopped running and the door opened, thick mist poured into the room and Rooque slid into view. "It's been two months, almost three." Gothitelle hated the way her voice trembled, she has grown weak. "There is still no sign of them, I can pinpoint everyone else, but them." She held Gluttony's map, which still inked lines in an erratic manner. "I am worried...what if?"

 _What if?_

The question hung unasked and unanswered. A flicker of annoyance crossed Steelix's visage and he caved. "Fine, let's go wait for them, but today is the last," he sternly stated. "We can't keep our jobs on hold for them…" He poured the cup of stale coffee down his maw. The liquid tasted as bitter as his emotions but it provided for a welcome distraction.

Pokemon clogged the main avenue leading to the guild. Navigating through the scarred vestibule, Rooque nodded at Manectric wearing skewed glasses; the receptionist, swallowed by paperwork, wagged his tattooed tail. Warm sunshine heated Steelix's body with a pleasant tingle but it did little to banish the shadowy cobwebs in his mind. The Team Emblem pair coursed south, towards a thick forest. Rooque politely declined when fans stopped him for an autograph; a street artist smeargle, tail dipping into a bucket of paint, waved wildly and leapt with a blank canvas fisted in its paws. Backing up, Steelix shook his head fiercely whilst Melody marched on, seemingly unaware of his predicament. After coughing up excuses, he rejoined her, tearing down the walk at frightening speeds. They climbed a hill and prepared to wait, above them, the sky swirled with sunlit clouds, it will be a blazingly hot day.

Unfolding a thin blanket on the coarse blades of grass, Gothitelle closed her eyes and meditated. She noticed a group of three beasts struggling through the watery tunnels of Pride, their teamwork was horrible. In an fancy house on the northern boulevard, near the Mart area, A magnezone experimented on magnetic ore she dug up in Wrath's trial; laying on a bed of rose petals and munching on a handful of berries, her partner, a hard-nosed vileplume, merely snorted and coated the rocks with acid. Elsewhere, in the postal tower, a starly hooked its talons on a package and launched from the rafters. It promptly smacked into the hay covered ground as the heavy bundle pulled it down. Switching attention, Melody penetrated through a fog of black and gazed at the Black Market, as usual, Dom sneered at her but the spite in his glare dimmed. On the Beach of Evocation, she saw a new pokemon drifting on the orange tinged water. A wynaut bobbed on the waves and underneath, puffs of smoke solidified into a string of pearls and joined the mountain of junk on the ocean floor.

Opening her eyes, Melody straightened. "I'm going to the beach," she announced brusquely. "A new comer, I'll deal with them." Before Rooque could protest, she teleported away and he pouted.

Great, now he'll have to stare at trees without company.

Shrugging, Rooque curled on the blanket; he kept a watch between the trees, raising his head to ghostly whispers. Maybe the trees were laughing at him, he dully concluded. Wind skimmed the canopy and the leaves rustled, giving false hope and cruelly crushing it soon after. Overhead, the sun marched across the sky and the clouds evaporated under its burning rays.

He closed his eyes and the world plunged into blackness.

"I told you..." A faint, faraway voice wafted from the trees and he ignored it.

"My wings!" Another louder growl joined the first and the serpent opened an eye, body taut with apprehension. "If you clip them, I'll end you." An altaria soared from beyond the tree-line followed by delacatty and a prinplup. Smiling tightly at the startled group, he tossed his head at the guild and implored them to rest. Altaria, fluffy wings soiled and ripped, sailed towards the town and its team mates followed it. "I need a bath," the bird grumbled. "And food and some of the disgusting healing sap victreebel stores in his sand jars." The humming pokemon grouched. "By the way Kat, do you know where that old coot is?" Their voices dimmed in volume as they left. Depression forced the serpent to flop back on the grass and this time, he shut his eyes and snored.

He dreamt of his previous teammates, a half blind venipede whose glasses needed constant polishing and a motherly claydol. Rooque missed her immensely. Claydol found him slithering into Treasure Town when a violent storm gripped Gehenna. She joked that Giratina was angry about something, apparently the deity raged because his distortion world was tampered with. Half melting into a puddle of mudstone, Rooque laid on her threshold, she scooped the limp onix and nursed him back to health. When she finished her trials and passed on, Steelix remembered resentment boiling in his chest, how he hated the fact that she left him alone to struggle and trudge through the unfamiliar world. Venipede kicked the bucket a few days after but benumbed to feelings, he hardly cried. But now, the familiar warmth of friendship propelled him forward and he enjoyed the feeling of helping others.

The woods swished and dead to the world, Rooque nestled in the comfort of claydol's tender embrace. "He's smiling like an idiot when I'm starving like this." A snort penetrated the sweet shroud of sleep. "Can I roast him?" A beast roughly questioned and shadows fell over the drowsing snake.

"Me too!" Another high pitched tone joined in. "I have to practice my flame thrower!"

"No! Not on him, are you two serious?" A third, panicked shrill rang through the air and Rooque could not ignore the voices any longer but the threat of disappointment rooted him to the ground.

A familiar sweet scent whispered past his nostrils. "I know you can hear us and it's rude to ignore pokemon who desperately need help. Green is heavy and he's roasting my geraniums," Red complained.

"I want to burn your tree as well," Charizard retorted fondly. "It's clipping my wing." Hearing the self-confident tone, Rooque sprang up, head colliding with Venusaur's chin. "...That hurt." Oak commented lazily. "Your head packs a punch."

The steel serpent reared to his full height, grinning at the skinny monsters shuffling in front of him. They wore lopsided smiles and eyes gleaming with exhaustion; but the relief on their faces forced the sun to shine brighter. "Where...What happened to all of you?" Rooque sputtered on seeing Green flopped atop Red's back. Behind them, Tepig carried the dragon's feebly flaming tail. "You look like you died!" the iron snake exclaimed.

"I did," Charizard replied and rose with a wince; his once buffed coat sagged over a framework of bones. Green eased to the ground and stretched. His wings flared out on either sides and Steelix whistled in appreciation. Next to him, Melody materialized and her half-moon eyes widened. She let out a delighted sigh and the air vibrated like violin strings. Throwing her coy mannerisms aside, she charged forward and Red, eager to be the recipient of her hug, braced for impact. Unfortunately, Melody swerved and threw her twig-like arms over N. Surprised, the fox blinked and smiled slyly. Green threw Venusaur a satisfied smirk and Rooque, confused with their enigmatic smiles and shenanigans, slithered forward and wound his body around a dejected Red. "We spent an entire day combing the Palace of Nightmares in search of an exit-" Oak explained but Melody cut him off.

"An entire day?" Gothitelle, still holding on to N and patting Black, queried. She and Steelix exchanged a glance. "But...It's been almost three months since we last saw all of you." The harmonica buzzed in Green's ears but her words sliced through the mesmerizing effect.

 _Three months?_

A short, terse silence settled on the impromptu merrymaking. "Are you sure?" Red questioned, he appreciated the friendly warmth from Steelix and he missed the light, the pure, wholesome light. The artificial glow in the Palace of Nightmares sickened him and did not provide enough energy to flourish the plants growing on his back. "We did not take enough food to last us three whole months and I admit that we are looking a bit shabby, but it because we refused to eat, we spent the entire...day searching a way out of the maze." The plant type stated.

Loosening his hold over Venusaur, Rooque examined them; they did not appear to be telling lies. "If I remember, you were going to conquer Gluttony's trial so how did you end up in the Palace of Nightmares of all places?" he questioned

"You know about the Palace of Nightmares?" N fought against sleep, after his encounter with Darkrai, sleep was the last thing on his mind.

"Of course," Gothitelle responded, brushing through his blood matted fur. "It is Lord Darkrai's domain, in a pocket dimension separate from Gehenna. Lord Giratina also resides inside his own dimension, however it overlaps with Gehenna and it is said that when he appears, the Unown surrounding him starts eroding the place." She shrugged when Green peered at her, interest gallivanting in his irises. "I read them in books of legend, although their validity has yet to be seen."

Black snorted. "It's valid all right, whilst we were stuck in the Palace of whatever, we saw a father and son feud and when Giratina poofed in front of Darkrai and lectured him out of killing us, Darkrai argued back and boom! A column drawn with those Unown symbols crushes a wall of marble into dust." The older monsters gaped at his story. "Scary stuff I tell you. Darkrai has issues." Imparting an abridged version of the entire, harrowing episode, Tepig resumed eating the left over berries, snout stained with juice. Another silence blanketed the startled group and suddenly, Red guffawed.

Everyone eyed him warily.

Venusaur paused in his hearty chuckling whilst the rest ogled him. "Sorry, I just...When Black puts it like that it sounds really funny, but it's true. He's very lonely after Wiggly passed away." Gothitelle and Steelix reeled back. "I suppose it served as a wakeup call..." An eerie sadness crossed Red's expression before he brightened. "Could you do us a favor?" Rooque nodded energetically. "Please contact our workplaces and tell them we'll come to work after a week, we need to rest...And Green needs to get his strength back." A pause followed Red's initial request. "Can anyone of you tell me where I can find more of Darkrai's elixirs? Despite its gross appearance, it's got awesome healing and rejuvenation properties."

Steelix's cavernous mouth fell open. "Darkrai's what?" he asked skeptically. "Darkrai does not hand out healing elixirs; did you chomp on hallucinogenic mushrooms? He hands out nightmare death traps!" The iron snake patted Red on the head. "You really need your rest, don't worry, I got you covered."

Unlike Rooque, Melody did not share the confusion; she remembered a tarry liquid in Wiggly's favorite mug. Apparently, Darkrai shared his elixir with the guild master as well. Smoothing her face into a polite, inquisitive frown, she absentmindedly petted N and nodded along with the rest of the conversation.

Right, she agreed, if Green suffered the brunt of Darkrai's wrath, he will need plenty of rest.

* * *

Approximately one week later, Red maneuvered on a rectangular patch of sunlight falling on the apartment floor. A flock of birds, flying in a V formation, streaked past the window and he watched. There was a time when he craved the freedom of bird pokemon, but now, he loved to root within the earth, a few vines running under topsoil told him a wealth of information. He could accurately pinpoint veins of water and precious metals, predicting earthquakes were nothing as the tiny vibrations alerted him long before the main quake hit. The earth spoke to him, murmured its secrets and lies, showed him its wounds and treasures. Before long, he appreciated basic elements. Without them, he would wilt and die. The cuts and scrapes on his skin healed and left behind scarred tissue, using a weedy tendril, Red scratched at a slow healing wound and grimaced when the top layer flaked off, the cut glistened with thick sap.

A knock sounded on the door and Rooque, shopping bags hanging off his diamond projections, grinned and slithered inside, he cracked an odd joke and Red broke into a fit of loud giggles. The iron snake deposited the bags on a slab of feldspar which served as the table and settled next to Red, exchanging news and the customary, dry joke. "Are you up for work today?" Rooque asked whilst Red giggled and gasped for breath. "If you don't return soon, they will fire you, besides, getting to work as a park employee is every grass type's dream job."

A loud clang and a muffled curse echoed from the kitchen. "Yeah, although my boss is gonna give me the lecture of my life." Red frowned thoughtfully. "But since this is Cyng, I guess he won't fire me, the circumstances were beyond my control." The seed monster chewed on a thorny twig of myrrh. "If it was Tamen, he'd be ready to roast my hide; I wonder how Layla even worked for him."

Inside the kitchen, N prepared breakfast, he retrieved two loaves of bread from the basket and a container of milk joined the bread on a too small counter. Checking his claws, Zorua squeezed a wooden cutting board and dumped a variety of berries on the work surface, meticulously; he brought his claws down and sliced the berries, tipping the diced fruits into a bowl. No sooner did he reach for a bunch of bananas and Black pranced in, dewy drops of water steaming on his face. Grinning widely, N tried to push Tepig out of the kitchenette, citing he did not need help. Determined to help, or cause chaos in N's case, Black nimbly sprang out of reach and upset a row of cast iron pots. The utensils banged on the floor, sending a cacophony of noise through the house, N flinched whilst Black grinned and banged them some more. In a minute, the pleasantly cool atmosphere inside their apartment heated into an unbearable degree. Cursing softly, Zorua glared at Tepig and the fire pig quickly replaced the pots to their rightful place.

"Now look what you did!" N hissed. "Senior Green woke up and he is not happy."

Instead of panicking, Tepig's eyes gleamed mischievously. "So what?" he countered. "I laugh in the face of danger."

"I bet you won't be laughing when he flattens you into a pancake." Zorua defeatedly stated, tail wagging. "Give me those bananas, I need to peel them."

Wide awake and staring at his ceiling, Green unwound his tail from a burning log and climbed to his feet. He crawled out of his roaring fire place and closed his eyes at the discordant, metallic clangs. Charizard had little doubt the 'accident' was caused by none other than Black. Dragging claws over terracotta tiles, Oak reached for a bucket of water and doused his bed. Tucking his wings, he squeezed out of the narrow door. A faint trace of pine and lemon flooded their home and he breathed it in. After being constantly exposed to Red's disgusting sweet scent, Green wondered if his olfactory receptors rotted off. He shuffled through the corridor, paused at the entrance of the kitchen to peer at a disaster waiting to be cleaned and halted at the sight of a semi-clean work surface. A pair of first stage pokemon worked soundlessly and smiled at him. Grunting in satisfaction, he sauntered into the living room and scowled at Red and Rooque tucked in one corner and whispering connivingly. An occasional fit of laughter escaped the plant type and Venusaur's skin glowed healthily.

"Hear this out," Red exploded, excitement dancing in his voice. "Rooque says there's a body parlor in the Black Market," he related breathlessly, vines doing little jumps on the floor. "And they do tattoos and custom made jewelry. Imagine..." Venusaur blathered and Green tuned out in favor of buffing his claws on a stone tablet. "...Your wings would make a great canvas," the grass type prattled continuously.

Charizard's claws skewed on the slate and his head shot up. "What?" he barked.

But Red ignored him. "We can record our epic journey with cave art like paintings, or even better, you can get a whole line of those squiggly things..."

"Tribal tattoos," Steelix corrected.

"Yeah, tribal tattoos and each time you open your wings, you can scare the dungeon monsters into unconsciousness." Venusaur looked eagerly at Green and despite every cell in his body screaming a solid NO! Oak crumbled at his best friend's childish glee. "So you will do it?" Red asked, practically glowing under the rectangle of sunlight and Green nodded reluctantly. Sprawling tattoos sounded alright, he always admired the artwork on Manectric's tail.

Holding a dish of fruit salad, Black placed it on top of the table and hopped back into the kitchen. "And what about you? Don't you want body decorations?" Green warily eyed a row of squiggles Venusaur inked on a discarded piece of parchment, best friend or not, Red was not going to design anything stamped on Charizard's body.

Red replied in negative, "My skin is too thin and it contains pockets of toxins, but look at this." He retrieved a necklace of polished bones and jewels, the stark white fragments glinted and immediately Green thought of Layla. "It's a gift from Melody and Rooque." Venusaur slung the collar around his head and it fitted snugly against his thick neck. "Let's go to the parlor right after breakfast," Red declared. "If we are lucky, we'll be able to show up for work on time."

Mid-morning

Treasure Town

Black Market

Nasty rumors shrouded the Black Market, but all agreed it was a necessary component of the Underworld. It supplied meat, which carnivore pokemon could not live without and the operatives, consisting solely of dark and ghost types, liked to dredge junk from the ocean floor and sell the memoirs. Squeezing between two rough brick faces and wondering how his bigger, bulkier seniors managed to traverse in a space this narrow, Black winced when his hide chafed, he hopped behind Green. The dragon's tail lengthened considerably and it grew stockier, a bash from said tail could potentially crack skulls and reduce cement into powder. Putting all this into consideration Tepig wisely stayed on his senior's good graces. Charizard's competitive spirit and temper dimmed in intensity but now, his breath melted boulders.

Black snorted and watched a tiny puff of smoke curl away from his nostrils, whatever, senior Red was way cooler and goofier. At least he could make things grow instead of just setting objects on fire.

The group, minus N, who wanted to spend the morning rolling around Red's bed and meditating, spilled into the Black Market square. On the far end of the market, a stack of corrugated iron sheets conspired into a pile of haphazard shacks; Black gawked at the sight of yellow caution tape ringing the establishment. In front of him, booths swarmed the base of gnarled, barren trees. Shadows danced inside the shops and Tepig peered between the gaps, mouth watering at the sight of colorful candy but a warning glance from Red quailed the desire. The trio weaved between pokemon traffic and searched for the body shop. Bending their heads over a map Steelix drew for them, the evolved monsters screamed, struggling to be heard over the pandemonium stirring in the square. At last, the fire and grass pair came to the same conclusion and twisted their way to a brightly lit shop. A squad of voltbeat danced in front of the studio and their abdomens pulsed in a rhythm. Smiling courteously at them, Black opted to wait outside whilst Red and Green entered the shop, the sights and smells of the Market dizzied him and he sat in the ominous shade of a bare branched tree. If anything sprung at him from the shadows, he could deal with it.

A moment later, Red joined him and they sat in peaceful silence.

The bubble of quietude between them seemed out of place with the general chaos on the square. Fidgeting, Black glanced at Red and shyly looked away when the older monster smiled. "How long do you think it's going to take?" Tepig asked and pointed to the parlor and Red shrugged. A thousand different thoughts galloped in the fire piglet's head and he wanted the string of questions to stop. "Can I...Sit closer to you?" Black questioned sheepishly and quickly added, "I won't burn you." At this, Red grasped Tepig and placed him on his back. The colorful blossoms and mild fragrance settled the fire type and he snuggled amongst the plants. "Thanks," Black warbled. "You are the best."

Inside the tattoo workshop, Green awkwardly stared at a set of wicked needles lying on velvet padding and at the drifloon flitting around him. The balloon pokemon's cute face morphed into a haughty smirk and baring his teeth in appreciation, Green sat on one of the benches and extended a wing. Grabbing a needle, Drifloon's free appendage ignited in an indigo flame and she held it inside the fire, sterilizing it. "This is going to hurt," she warned in a surprisingly pleasant voice and Oak nodded languidly, he was used to pain. "Well then, please don't scream," Drifloon stated and slashed the needle in the inside of his wings.

A loud howl of pain and rage shook the little salon and outside, Red tensed, Black raised his head, peered at the shop through sleepy eyes and went back to chewing lemongrass.

Biting another scream of pain and observing a series of looping scratches disfigure his stately wings; Green cursed Red with every derogatory term he could think of. His brain seesawed and he blinked back tears. Working mercilessly, Drifloon grinned each time he repressed a shudder and she clicked her tongue in annoyance. "I've tattooed many pokemon since I started working here and you are the worst, a natu makes less noise than you." She scratched another scribble and Oak gasped. This tattoo idea was ridiculous and if he got out of here alive, Red will be reduced to a pile of ash. "Okay, the next part will sting," the tattooist cautioned. "Don't throw up on my desk." She hefted a tiny, copper tube of jet black ink and painstakingly poured the ink into the scratches. It burned, but the pain was better than her slashes. "Right, all done." She placed the tube to the side and admired her handiwork. "I must admit, you look utterly gorgeous." A purple flash fire engulfed Charizard's wings and the ink dried in a matter of seconds. "Go on, you can show off now," the balloon beast leered suggestively and winked. Hoarsely thanking her, Green stumbled out of the shop and Red barreled over, eyes widening in approval.

"Cool!" he exclaimed. "You even have a pair of wing rings...Or wing piercings?" The tattoos spilled on Oak's shoulder blades and licked against his neck.

"Huh?" Charizard articulated and recoiled at the large golden hoops jingling on his wing tips. "When did these?" He whipped back and from parlor doorway, Drifloon blew him a kiss. "...I'm not paying for extra services." Green spat, forked a sum of money and marched away. With each stride, the golden circlets flashed in the sun and more than a dozen pokemon stopped to ogle him. Tail fire flaring, Charizard whirled around, seeking for a place to hide.

Exuberant, Venusaur plodded after the dragon, marveling at the intricate designs. "I bet Yellow would be real thrilled to see you!"

The fire dragon paused. "Yellow?" he asked. "Who is that?" Charizard blinked whilst Red scrunched his face in bewilderment.

Try as he might, he could not remember this 'Yellow'

"My bad," Red grinned uneasily, "I have no idea what I said...maybe they're from our past? From when we were human?" His words tumbled out uncertainly. "In any case, we're late for work!" The seed monster grunted and hurtled out of the square, on his back, Black bounced gleefully and rolled in a patch of wild mint.

* * *

The apartment door creaked open and Green's body cast a long shadow in the passage. His wings burned, his face ached from the polite, plastered smile and worst of all, he felt lost once more. Letting the door bang shut, he slid to the floor, back against the wall and drunk in the silence. This morning, when he rushed to work, praying Claene won't fire him, Charizard stumbled inside the Mart, absently brushing his coat free of dirt and wondering if she would disapprove his tattoos. The moment he stepped in, a cinccino greeted him at the entrance but there was a fundamental difference between the two scarf pokemon.

Claene always held a clipboard and recited a never ending stream of statistics and percentages; Green fervidly admired her ambitious personality. The new boss melted when she set her eyes on him and with a flourish, welcomed him inside the store. She stammered and the employees bossed her around. Stomping to the counter, Charizard suffered an attack from Pachirisu; she hugged him and burst into tears. A tingle of electricity crept over his skin and he searched for Simisear. Whilst Oak examined the shop and noted new changes, Pachirisu dropped a bombshell:

"Manager Claene completed the trials and passed on," she squeaked and the fire drained away from him, making his limbs weak. "And Simisear..." here, her lips quivered and her voice cracked, "he...he couldn't make it out of Pride. Trial boss Adulari...She," the electric type sucked in a breath, "killed him." An icy coldness washed over Green, like someone doused him with a bucket of frozen water. He rooted to the spot and watched Pachirisu cry. Charizard opened his mouth to offer a word of condolence but nothing came out.

A part of him should be happy for his manager, but only the sting of loneliness devoured him.

Light footsteps approached and N poked his head into the hallway. "Senior Green?" he asked, voice full of concern, "are you all right?" The shape shifter padded closer, tilting his head to better examine the exhausted dragon. "...I'll go make dinner; you look tired so I think it'd be better for you to rest." Nodding, Oak tailed the fox into the living room and an apple sailed out of the kitchen, nailing him on the snout. "Black!" N hollered and quickly apologized for the piglet's behavior. "Watch where you throw that thing, you hit senior right in his face." Tepig bounced and quickly bowed, too worn out to feel angry, Green settled near the table and fixated on N.

Apparently he remembered his human life with perfect clarity.

"I want to ask you a question," Charizard rasped. "N, do you know about someone called Yellow?" He tossed the apple and munched on it, curious about Zorua's reply.

The fox scowled thoughtfully. "Back when you were still a commander, she was your secretary," N responded. "But everyone kinda knew you liked her, no one mentioned it though, they were scared you'd bite their head off."

"I...What?" The dragon choked on an apple seed whilst Black smirked in the background.

"Yellow was the girl you liked." Zorua smiled and Green sneezed, sending a small fireball speeding towards the kitchen, Tepig pounced on the orb of flames and snorted it up. "And you, Red, Blue and Yellow were best friends."

However, Green failed to hear the last part, his mind shorted.

 _Yellow._

It was a shame he could not match a face to that name.

* * *

 **A/N:** Much thanks to every one who read and reviewed, hope this was an enjoyable chapter. At Jack54311: Well get ready for another plot twist...nothing happens. Except them losing their memories. Come to think of it, I miss Yellow. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory? Hmm...I don't think so, the quote was from Michel de Montaigne (who ever that is) but it sounds wickedly cool and I thought, why not?


	26. Master of Illusions

**Master of Illusions**

Mid afternoon

Treasure Town

Park Emporium

A piece of incriminating parchment teased him from the opposite wall and Red glared at it. The words written on it were burned beneath his eyelids but every time he squeezed in the tiny office, his eyes roamed over the deed and the heavy weight of responsibility settled on his shoulders. He did not want this, the trials of Gehenna stressed him enough but no, now an entire park depended on him for survival. Settling behind a walnut table, the surface mirrored his aggrieved expression, Venusaur groped at a set of drawers, his vine slid into a drawer, snatching another document. Flattening the creased paper, Red read, careful not to tear the letter at the folds.

 _To Red:_

 _It has been more than two and a half months since I last saw you but I highly doubt you are slacking off. You are one of my most memorable workers, even if you do tend to get overexcited and kill some of the plants, but I digress. I now understand why Tamen came to me after Absol died, there is a certain melancholy associated with losing one of your best workers. I will be blunt, I do not care for such emotions but both of my team mates are sentimental creatures._

The seed pokemon's thinner tendrils skittered over the loopy writing.

 _I wished to see you before embarking on my last dungeon and thus waited. I refuse to believe that Gehenna's trials triumphed over you, you are a sentient plant, we have the ability to adapt, change and overcome, I distinctly remember giving you a lecture once, I hope you have not forgotten it._

Red shook his head; he will never forget his superior's advice.

 _Because I want to leave the Park Emporium in capable hands, I chose you as the next manager. Tamen warned me against it and I believed him when he said you are incapable of running such an elaborate setup. But I also believe you are capable of doing anything you set your heart out to and therefore I am leaving you my most prized possession, this establishment. Tamen, delicate fool, did not complete the dungeon with us and therefore stayed behind._

Tamen? Delicate? Venusaur frowned; he would not use the word sentimental when describing the imperious Umbreon.

 _Also, I left my necklace for him, however, I am sure he will not set a foot inside the Emporium once I pass away, therefore I ask you to give it to him, if he refuses, simply subdue him and string it around his neck. I advise you to run away after that, Tamen when angered, is very nasty._

Red rolled his eyes, was this an attempt at humor?

 _Lastly, I want to thank you for your hard work, I want to personally thank each and every park employee but I cannot. There is something in you that reminds me of myself, but I let the trials of this world make me hard and cynical. I hope you never lose your passionate spirit to these hardships and I pray you lead the Park to greater heights and continue to make Treasure Town a prosperous and green place._

 _Sincerely_

 _Cyng_

No matter how many times Venusaur read the letter, his eyes grew tired upon finishing. The elegant script reminded him of Cyng, regal, judging and closed. A faint whiff of camphor wafted from the letter and he folded it into a square and thrust it back into the drawers. In the second compartment, Cyng's emerald locked glinted.

Approximately a month ago, Red careened into the park with a euphoric Black screaming on his back. The shop looked the same; giant screens of foggy glass obscured the workers toiling inside. In a corner, a sudowoodo barked instructions and a turtwig whipped potted plants away, the sight of so many grass types, each with their unique brand of scent, calmed Red and he looked forward to seeing his blank faced boss again. Black hopped behind him and the grass types peered at him with undisguised interest. Following the corridor leading to the executive's office, A grovyle stopped Red in his tracks and eyed him solemnly.

"Please follow me, alone." The wood gecko insisted with a wary glance at Tepig. The piglet hung back, uncertain and nodding to him, Red followed Grovyle through a set of twisting glass corridors. At last, they stopped in front of Cyng's room. The door, which normally seemed welcoming, now darkened, leasing a foreboding aura; Venusaur swallowed and prepared for the worst. "I regret to inform you that Cyng is no longer in this world." Grovyle did not flinch and held Red's gaze evenly. "He left me the key and explicit instructions that only _you_ may enter his office." The wood gecko fumbled with a pouch at his waist whilst Red stared at the helix inked on Grovyle's arm. "Here, please take this." He bowed slightly and pressed a bronze key in Venusaur's tendrils. Numbed, he opened the door and a blast of stale air hit his face.

Cyng, gone...Red could not comprehend it. He felt like spider lily petals. Fragile. A strong gust of wind could scatter him away. The room smelt like Cyng and Red examined the chamber. The deed hanging on the wall caught his eye and at once, a rush of fury coursed through him. He did not want such a burdensome responsibility, but at the back of his mind he could hear the regal pokemon's monotone voice and envision his blank, assured stare.

 _You can do this._ Cyng reared to his full height, the golden hoops pierced around his collar jingled. _You can and you will do this._ The serpent stated, voice full of quiet, confident calm.

For the next few weeks, Venusaur labored, he did what the previous owner could not. Make friends with the Emporium staff. Instead of coaxing feeble weeds back to life, Red reassured new employees and lectured about the importance of adaptation. Plant types were both delicate and hardy and although the words poured out of his mouth, his emotions remained detached. He did not want to do this. Switching tactics, Venusaur brushed shoulders with his underlings, he stood right beside them, not just spouting words, but showing them how to properly care for a plant. The emporium thrived in a hive of activity and he worked, hide speckled with soil and lips in a grin. Slowly but surely, the other plant types warmed up and several cheeky ones even dared to give him instructions.

Back inside the room, Red contemplatively basked in warm beams of light. Nestled inside a dense bush, Black popped his head and questioned: "Aren't you gonna work today?"

"Yes and you better stop stowing away on my back," Venusaur admonished. "Fire types are not allowed here, for several different reasons." He peeled out of the office, heading for the nursery. "You need to look for a job as well," Red remarked offhandedly and Tepig mumbled a negative. The conservatory door slid aside and a chorus of greetings followed Red. A tiny snivy quivered in front of him and a Leafeon introduced the grass snake. "Newcomer huh?" Red commented and Snivy nodded, oversized head brushing the ground. "Don't worry about anything, if you have any problems, you can discuss them with me." Snivy muttered its gratitude and scuttled away, eager to work. Grinning at the row of workers, Venusaur peered over their shoulders and subtle pride flooded through him when healthy, potted saplings flowered into beautiful young trees. A sickly cherry tree caught his attention and he demonstrated healing techniques to the tending petilil. "Use energy balls, make them small and pepper the soil with it." Petilil stammered an apology and Red shook his head. "Don't apologize, things happen, if you are tired from dungeon roaming, you must rest, always remember a healthy mind makes a healthy tree."

The seed pokemon paused, Green would be absolutely flattered if he knew Red was using his brains for something either than battle strategies.

A small rain cloud formed above the nursery's patch of soil and a group of lotad regulated its size. The cloud grew heavy, dark and burst, showering the plants with droplets of rain. Petrichor teased Red's nose and after inhaling the sweet, earthy scent, he hobbled out of the conservatory and into the park. Here, the plant types argued with each other about deliveries and a swell of angry voices increased in noise as he approached. In a fit of anger, Cacturne launched a pin missile and the mutterings died. The employees meekly carried their designated pot plant and shot off. The scarecrow pokemon saluted and Red smiled. Cacturne was surly, but when it came to whipping lazy workers into shape, no one did a better job than her. Jotting a couple more tasks, Venusaur handed the list to her and waved, he needed visit the guild for a quick lunch and an application for a job. If Black lazed around any further, Green will kick him out.

To the seed pokemon's surprise, when he stepped into the eating hall, he found N and Green sitting at a table groaning under the weight of food. Navigating through a labyrinth of tables, chairs and waitrons, Red ducked when a banana peel grazed his head and nearly crushed a screeching tynamo under his foot. The electric fish flopped, coating the laminated floor with a slime stain. Apologizing, Venusaur removed his foot and the grateful creature stopped discharging, it turned its attention to a simpering Slowpoke and with a furious cry, unleashed a pathetic thunder. Calmly stepping over the fuming fish, Red trundled to the table and sat down, the moment he pulled a mug of honey closer to him, Black somersaulted from his hiding place; flashed past an aghast Green and neatly landed next to an astonished Zorua.

"I'm working on my agility," Tepig smugly announced and promptly dove into Charizard's salad bowl.

Shoving an entire apple inside his mouth, Red queried, "So what are the two of you doing here? I planned to have lunch and search for a suitable quest for N and Black." He slurped a berry smoothie and noticed the lines around Oak's mouth tighten.

"...My memory loss bothers me," Green reluctantly admitted and toyed with a Lum berry, "I know I have more important things to tend to but this...Void in my head, it's unsettling."

"I try not to think about it," Red replied and dropped a slice of toast in his cavernous maw.

Charizard twitched and his wing piercings jingled. "But doesn't it bother you? Forgetting how you look, forgetting your human heritage?" He leaned forward, snatching a mega donut out of Black's reach. "We're forgetting everything!"

"Sounds like the trash took out itself," Venusaur snapped. "If I'm a criminal, I'd rather not remember the stuff I did when I was alive."

"And what about the people and things that mattered?" Green shot in return, satisfied by the way Red quailed. "I don't remember my physical appearance and I can't recall the names of our friends and family, do you think these memories are worth forgetting?" the dragon challenged softly. "Do you, Red?"

Rendered speechless, Venusaur simply stared at the food. His appetite vanished. Tired eyes roamed around the eatery and stopped at N who was their only link to their past lives; but Red was afraid to ask. The gaps inside his head widened with each passing day and even though he tried not to think about it, niggling questions kept him awake at night. Often times, he struggled to piece his human face together.

 _What color hair did he have now again?_

"N, could you show us?" Red began and Zorua paused in his munching. "You can alter your appearance; can you show me how Green looks?" Venusaur pleaded and the dragon scowled. N concentrated; soon, his features shifted to accommodate a human face whilst the rest of him remained a pokemon. Rising, Red scrutinized Green's face, noting the shock of spikes, trademark scowl and jade irises. "Your hair looks like a fearow's coxcomb." Venusaur remarked and Charizard snorted, slightly offended. "Though, you look handsome for a human, maybe that's why all the females run after you when you turned into a pokemon." The group failed to notice silence befalling the eatery. "And what about me? Show my face next," Venusaur excitedly demanded.

Zorua's visage morphed. An individual with blood red irises, a mop of thick, black hair with an upright fringe and a blinding smile surfaced. A myriad of queries glued Green's mouth shut and instead, he gaped. A tiny part of him insisted the smile should be smaller, bestial and the bright eyes obscured with a film of madness, but this was him. Red.

"Blue!" the plant type hollered. Sucking in a deep breath, N entertained his spellbound audience. This time, a woman's face emerged. Mischief and intelligence danced in a pair of lazuli eyes and a sheet of caramel brown hair cascaded past her face. She pouted and Black blinked at her full lips. "Blue's a woman, a gorgeous one." Red muttered. "So she was our other best friend." He tried to memorize the female's beautiful face.

Charizard frowned, Blue's face irked him for unknown reasons and her all-knowing gaze infuriated him. "Pesky woman," he grumbled under his breath. "I want to see Yellow," he requested.

"Your girlfriend?" Tepig teased

Red turned around, betrayed. "What? And you never told me?"

"She's not!-" The dragon's breath caught in his throat on spying corn silk locks. Apparently this Yellow had a small, pale face, thin lips and a set of brown irises so clear and naive, he drowned in them. Both Red and Green peered intently and the smile on her face grew bashful. Behind N, a shadow ball sailed out of the floor and clobbered him; he flew forward, head colliding painfully with the edge of a table. Uttering a painful moan, Zorua fainted. Frozen by the unexpected occurrence and still reeling, the fire and plant duo merely opened their mouths in bewilderment. Tamen teleported into the circle and stalked towards the unconscious N.

He placed a silver cuffed paw on Zorua's flank. "I am taking him in for committing a taboo," he voiced threateningly. "In Gehenna, shape shifters and illusion casters are forbidden to display human features," his tone dropped, "or did you not know that?" The hall remained deafeningly silent. Sinking gleaming white teeth in N's ruff, Umbreon dragged him away. "Zorua is no longer part of your group, complete the trials by yourselves," Tamen announced and promptly teleported.

Midnight

Gehenna

Apartment

Sleep did not come easily to Black, after Tamen imprisoned N, Red pleaded with the guild receptionist to free him but Manectric apologized, saying he could not help them. Team Emblem members were tasked with high profile rescue missions and combing the streets proved futile. Every creature under the sky trembled when questioned about Tamen; they quickly muttered an incoherent answer and scurried away. Desperate, the trio raced to the Black Market, eager to exploit Dom's hatred of Umbreon. However, Houndoom spat a stream of flames at Venusaur's feet. Distraught, Tepig smashed his weight into the dark pokemon's side and Red pulled him away before Dom slashed him into ribbons. The sun set beneath a range of mountains and a deep unease settled in Black's chest, he missed N and realized how much Zorua meant to him.

The three monsters converged under a skeleton tree, bare branches lengthened on the stone paved ground. Around them, the Black Market packed and the hubbub distracted Tepig from his melancholic thoughts. The dark and ghost pokemon dutifully closed up shop amongst a screaming and insulting match. A sandile spouted dirt all over murkrow's stand and the bird type screeched, raking its talons on the waterproof tarp covering the sand crocodile's booth. In another large tent, Gengar packed away jars of spiritomb keystones and as he ducked behind a counter, a trio of houndour snatched a slab of meat and escaped, crackling madly. Black inched between Red and Green; he did not like the way Dom leered at him, burnt orange eyes reflecting greed and dirty money. A collar of spikes choked the boss and light glinted menacingly off it. The various stall owners approached him one by one, previous confidence evaporating in the face of the hell hound. The employees meekly placed wads of cash and chests of coins, anyone trying to keep a share were promptly reminded of their place by a vicious flick from a barbed tail. A mountain of wealth piled in front of Dom's dirty paws and he whipped around, barking at a young houndour to stash it away in a private quarter. Tepig gagged at the stench emanating from the boss, he tasted cinders and smoke.

Dom pinned the visiting band with a deplorable glare. "I believe I asked you three to leave." Sparks of fire escaped from his chipped teeth. "I am not tangling myself with Umbreon; he hates my operations and will do anything to snuff me. Wigglytuff kept him on a leash but now that he croaked," the dark hound's voice cracked and he spared a moment to compose himself, "the cat will do anything to raze us over. Begone!" His tail cracked the air; the black market employees fell into neat rows and marched to the area roped with highlight yellow caution tape.

Waiting for one of his caretakers to protest, Tepig gazed at their blank faces. Squeezing from between them, he wobbled closer to Dom and begged, "Please, my best friend is held captive by him, we've searched the entire town but there is nothing resembling a jail center." The dark type snorted in contempt. "We don't know where he lives, the guild refused to tell us anything." Black groveled. "Please, any form of help is fine."

The workers disappeared into their shacks, pale yellow light and livid bellows spilled from glassless windows. Throwing another contemptuous look over his shoulder, Dom marched away, tail grazing the ground. Uttering a cry, Black tried to run after him but the moment he launched into the air, Green caught him and tossed him on Red's back.

Prowling out of the narrow streets, they trailed home. Neither of them spoke and Black sniffed loudly, he plotted, jumping on Venusaur's back and making sure the seed pokemon felt every hoof print. Rage billowed in his stomach and he eyed the giant tree on his senior's back. Instead of burning it, the piglet curled, helpless. Their granite flat sparkled under the light of a crescent moon and Red and Green scaled the stairs, converging into the living room wordlessly. Supper remained a distant chore and ignoring the loud growl from his stomach; Black jumped to the floor and eyed his caretakers dolorously. "What was that all about?" he exploded. "You should've forced Dom, or whatever, to co-operate! What if Tamen eats N for supper?" Black hysterically yelled and Green sighed defeatedly at the outburst. "We don't have time to sit around and chew grass!" Tepig spat and Red swallowed his wad of lemongrass. "And you, don't fall asleep on me!" Charizard snored loudly, fell smack on the floor and continued snoozing.

The fire pig glowered at him, _how could he sleep at a time like this?_

"Get some rest," Red soothed and without waiting for another word, Black barreled to his room and shut the door with the loudest bang he could manage. If the noise woke Green, good for him. Hopping to his bell shaped, earthen sleeping place, Tepig ignited the bed of hay and fell into the roaring fire. Stubborn tears sneaked from tightly shut lids and he sniffled. Life without N was unthinkable, he contemplated and wept. Him without N was like Red without Green.

Impossible.

The moon disappeared, chased by first light from the sun. Awake in his room, Black rubbed the circles under his eyes and clutched a sheaf of plans inside his mouth. If the others did not want to help him, fine, he will save N by himself. Quashing the seeds of self-doubt, Tepig opened his door to a dark and soundless corridor. Sneaking out, he tottered to the living room and was about to bolt out of the house when a pair of steel claws snatched the papers out of his mouth. "Let me see those." Oak checked the papers, mouth quirked into a smirk. "So you can think when you put your mind to it." Black gritted his teeth, refusing to comment. "...You want to see Melody, find Tamen's house, enlist Rooque's help and then rescue N?" Green asked, an approving gleam in his jade irises and Tepig nodded, not sure if the dragon mocked him. "And these," Charizard pointed to drawings, "are maps of the outskirts of Gehenna..." Oak intoned and shredded the papers "If you think we are letting you go alone, maybe you need a solid reminder." He cracked his knuckles and Tepig quivered. "Red, get your bud in here and let's mo...what the heck are you carrying?"

A giant shard of silver-grey rock, propped against his tree trunk, sparkled in the light. "It's a moon stone," Venusaur replied. "I stole it from Dom's place last night."

"You did what?" Green hissed lowly. "Are you daft? And tell me, what will a gigantic piece of space rock do against Tamen?" Charizard demanded, tail contorting furiously.

"Nothing," Red quickly stammered, "And it's broken, see?" He pointed to the numerous cracks crisscrossing its surface. "So what's the plan?"

"Ignore the lunatic," Black yelped, a grin broke over his face. "Come on," he latched on Green's tail, "we have a friend to save.

* * *

N woke up when a ray of sun hit his eyes. The moment he clambered to his feet, the world spun dizzyingly and he sat back down. An unfamiliar room unfolded before him and the familiar feeling of panic prompted his tail to thrash up and down. Strings of crinkled paper lanterns hung from a ceiling and artwork, in mesmerizing shades of silver, black and cyan, marked the walls. Curiosity overcoming fright, N padded to the nearest wall and examined the paintings, he saw groups of pokemon. A snivy, minccino and eevee. The drawing repeated two more times but with their evolved forms. At the end, two lines crossed over Serperior and Cinccino and between them, an umbreon with blue body rings remained.

"You are awake," Tamen droned from the doorway and Zorua whipped around, eyes wide and legs trembling. The moonlight pokemon pushed a bowl of food inside the room and the utensil slid over stained blackwood. "Eat," Umbreon commanded and too scared to refuse, N buried his face inside the bowl. Light footfalls grew closer and the panic in his stomach intensified. "Your coat is filthy," Tamen admonished and sniffed. "Don't you bathe?" he demanded, whiskers twitching disapprovingly.

N swallowed a mouthful of perfectly grilled berries and a complex of flavors lingered on his tongue. "Y-yes" He muttered, "but my fur is thick and it takes a long time to dry…" He waited for a disgusted snort and the feline did not disappoint. "My friend," Zorua's chest hurt, "likes getting into sticky messes and I..." The pain developed into a crushing ache. "I always used to follow him." The prospect of never seeing his companions again quelled his appetite and N mindlessly stared at the glazed berries. Hissing through a mouthful of eggshell white teeth, Tamen rasped a rough tongue over N's coat. Shocked, Zorua stiffened and eventually, the methodic cleaning calmed him. His eyes strayed back to the wall paintings and wandered over a set of low shelves stocked with paint, brushes and stuffed pokemon dolls. _Dolls?_ An arrangement of moonstones glimmered from a bottom shelf and a pot plant danced besides the gems. "Are those your friends?" N bravely squeaked and pointed to the crossed out figures on the wall. "Never mind." He hastily sat up, desperate to avoid the piercing, gunmetal blue stare. "You don't have to tell me anything."

Umbreon stalked towards a bookshelf. He pushed and the case glided to the right, revealing a wall of painted figures. The ones at the very top were unrefined and blocky but with each new painting, the images grew smoother and artistic. "I paint." Tamen flicked his bushy tail at the wall. "I kept these lawbreakers in here till they burst into black flames." He loured meaningfully at N. "You committed a taboo and that Charizard looking after you is supposed to know better." Umbreon stared at the wall, his back towards the tricky fox and whispered, "I hated my job so much that eventually, I grew to love it, the burden sharpens my mind." He pointed to the first figure. "This is Liepard, my mentor who broke me…Since then, I worked with ruthless determination." A profound silence filled the room. "She perished in this chamber." Tamen clamped a paintbrush between his teeth, dipped it into a can of coal paint and inked a figure on the wall. N squinted, horrified at his outline. "You are young, you showed much promise but I have my work." A flicker of regret crossed Umbreon's face. "You will not be able to escape from this place so I suggest you live your last days peacefully. Give up on the dungeons and the ordeal will go easier." Tamen clicked the shelf back to place, straightened his posture and loped out of the room.

Late morning

Gehenna

Residential Area

Confidence, snorted Black as he combed the streets, glaring at the rows of single homes. He and the others rushed into the guild and found Melody sitting on a luxurious couch, scanning a levitating book. She ushered them inside and before Red explained the reason for their visit and launched into a tangent, Tepig interjected, demanding Tamen's location. He hopped impatiently as the two evolved monsters related their predicament. Gothitelle nodded sympathetically. According to her, Tamen could sniff out law breakers and after his unexpected appearance at the guild, Black believed every word of it. The moonlight pokemon hated anyone who stepped out of line and punished them severely. Antsy and wondering if N fared alright, the fire pig paced in circles whilst the older monsters talked and nodded their head solemnly. At long last, their ramble came to an end but Melody, that psychic witch, refused to tell them anything.

"I apologize, but I cannot reveal his location to you." Gothitelle wrung her hands. "He is placed in Wiggly's confidence and although we are not fond of his methods, we are thankful for Tamen for making Treasure Town a safe place. It gives us a peace of mind and we can focus on the dungeons." Melody stated in her sing song voice and Green and Red nodded, acceptance dawning on their faces. Panicking, Black wanted to holler a contradiction, to jolt his caretakers to his side but Charizard merely dipped his head in agreement and turned around, the tattoos on his hide gleamed under the light.

Struggling to keep up with Green's long strides, Black ran to the dragon and huffed, "Are we gonna give up? We can't give up!" he insisted. "We have to save him, it's not like N killed somebody..." Tepig trailed off, suddenly, his thoughts whizzed out of control.

But what if he did?

Why was N here in the first place?

Does that mean he murdered somebody when he was still a human?

?

Tepig finally understood why the memory gaps bothered Green; they left many unanswered questions, doubts and insecurities.

"Don't worry, we'll find him and rescue him." Red reassured. "And we well go through Treasure Town with a fine toothed comb if we have to." Venusaur smiled and instantly, a surge of relief blossomed in Black's chest.

Unfortunately, searching for Umbreon's elusive home was easier said than done.

The northern residential area boasted quiet, sun speckled streets. Arches lined the pathways and flowers bloomed on shady sidewalks. Hawkers set up stalls, a couple of crates and a tarp which could easily be disassembled should Tamen and his crew patrol the area. Careful of his surroundings, Green stretched his wings, he could not fly yet and the fact humiliated him. The dojo master, Mei, gave him a lecture on the mechanics of flying; however, he failed to do it. A pile of papers tumbled on the street and he avoided them. A string of triangular flags fluttered cheerfully overhead and he stopped behind the chatting duo of Black and Red. Fanning his wings, he beat the air, willing to lift off. A rivulet of sweat snaked down his neck but his feet remained firmly rooted. The fire and grass pair eyed him supportively and Green shrugged and straightened up.

Flight could wait for another day.

"Go on, try." Venusaur urged and mortified, Charizard grit his teeth and attempted to take off once more. His wings burned, his bones grated and gusts of wind rattled the window panes. With gargantuan effort, his feet lifted off the around and amidst Black's encouraging cheers, Green cleared the first story houses. Pain rocketed through the wing bones but fatigue evaporated in the sheer pride of success. Looping through the air, he focused on an avenue tucked between bustling main roads. Sitting on the front steps of a non-descript house, an umbreon basked in slanting rays of golden sunshine; squinting, Oak gleaned four shiny cuffs clamped on its paws. Lips stretching into a feral grin, Charizard dive bombed the pavement. Cracks skittered from beneath his feet. "Wha? Are you crazy? Be careful when you land!" Red sputtered whilst Green regained his bearings. Without a word, he set off, tail swinging triumphantly. Bewildered, Tepig and Venusaur followed. "Did you find him?" Red asked and looked around, expecting Tamen to leap out of the shadows Grunting in reply, Green cut across the corner, sprinted and disappeared around the shadow of a high rise apartment. "Wait." The plant type puffed. "Slow down for a moment...and he's gone."

Sitting ramrod straight on the batholith steps in front of his expansive home, Umbreon stopped licking his flank; he sensed a disturbance in the air. Tail twitching, he sprang to the side when a fireball melted his sunning spot. Charging out of the umbrae cast by a three story building, a charizard sliced through the air and Tamen spied the wicked glint of its metallic claws. Activating curse, he stood his ground and met the dragon head on. Stunned by the impact of Umbreon's diamond hard skull bashing into his own, Green stumbled sideways, got and jumped several meters backwards, wary of Umbreon, Oak assumed a defensive stance.

He could not underestimate the opponent.

A screaming speck in the sky landed on top of the half melted stairs and revealed Black. Impassively watching the ring of flames shimmering away from the piglet, Tamen eyed a bunch of withered seeds planting into an impact crater and froze when a couple of vines burst out. Hissing, he blitzed through and slashed the tendrils to ribbons. A braided coil of vines smacked against his flank but he barely felt the pain. Snarling, he sunk his teeth into Tepig's scruff and tossed him away from the door. Black squealed horrendously, filling Umbreon's ears with a high pitched whine. A venusaur lumbered forward and caught the piglet in a leafy net.

"Stop your foolish behavior." Tamen glared at the trio furiously. "Your companion is a lawbreaker and I punish them harshly," he announced, irises zeroed in on the evolved pair. "You two are aware; Layla was part of _my_ patrol group." Hearing Absol's name, the duo's gaze shifted guiltily. "Leave, or I will detain all of you." The piglet spat curses and clawed at the cage of vines; he glowered at Tamen. Hushing the thrashing monster, Red frisked through a lime green cloth pouch dangling along his collar of gemstones and white bones. A familiar locket dangled on his vine, gleaming dully in afternoon light. Words deserting him, Tamen faltered. "...Cyng thinks I'm a sentimental fool." He looked at his paws, encased in thick, silver cuffs; they were a constant reminder of the shackles of morality. "Perhaps I am." He wanted to snatch the necklace out of Red's tendrils. "But...Cyng and Claene passed on and took my sentimentality with them." Turning around, Umbreon faced his door, the wood came from one of Serperior's personally grown trees and the myriad of trinkets lying on his shelves were gifts from Cinccino's mart. He wanted to throw them away; however, those souvenirs contained a piece of his heart. "I am warning you once more, leave. I do not tolerate rule-breakers, thwart me and you will face the consequences." Tamen let the threat hang; he knew they would leave.

Unfortunately for him, Venusaur flung the necklace and for one heart stopping moment, the dark type watched the locket soar in the air. It fell, looping around the flabbergasted cat's neck. "Cyng wrote me a letter; he said he wanted you to have his necklace," Red solemnly declared. "It's a gift from your friend so it will be rude not to accept it." The chain dangled between Tamen's forepaws and he stared at it, already crumbling. "I understand N committed a crime." Black sputtered furiously in the background. "But was it so bad? He only did it for us and in the same way, you are staying behind in Gehenna out of a sense of purpose when your higher duty would be to complete the trials and pass on." Umbreon flattened his ears. "You are doing what you want and in the process, breaking one of Gehenna's fundamental rules. We come here not to judge, but to redeem ourselves…Right?" Listening to Red's speech, Green absentmindedly dropped Black and suffered a mild kick to his hind leg. He grew suspicious; who or what replaced his best friend's brain? "If you have any shred of mercy left inside of you," the words marched out of Venusaur's mouth and delivered precise cuts to Umbreon's conscious, "please give N back to us. I won't lie; none of us knew it was taboo for a shape shifter to display human faces. I had a hunch it might be wrong but..." He trailed off.

Mercy, the word bounced around Tamen's head. It meant nothing to him. He was taught not to show mercy. Only ruthless discipline ironed undesirable traits. Umbreon smelled fear and regret leeching from Zorua's every pore and the young dark type meekly did what he was told. Despite the commotion, he dared not investigate. Growling angrily, Tamen flicked his tail at the door and commanded, "Get inside and go see him, he is probably quivering in my room."

Afternoon

Treasure Town

Streets

Ecstatic, Black smeared N's fleece with a thick coat of snot and soot, too relieved to get angry, the tricky fox danced with Tepig on the sidewalk. The moment Tamen invited the rescuing trio inside; Tepig blasted past the double doors. Head whipping back and forth, he smelled a faint hint of camphor and charged through the hallways, leaving charcoal footprints behind. An immaculate kitchen drifted no enticing aroma and disappointed, he resumed hunting for N. The corridor branched to a large room and he stopped, nose wrinkling at the overpowering smell of plants. Large succulents lined against a floor to ceiling length window, the soil in their pots dry and crumbly. Flowering plants towered to the left and an apple tree dominated one corner of the bedroom, its gnarled branches heavy with shiny apples. Noticing the lack of N, Black barreled out, swerved past a marching Tamen and rolled into another room.

A series of paintings snared his attention. The floor, stained blackwood, reflected shelves of curios and the muted gleam of paper lanterns. Near the wall and studying the artwork, N turned around and blinked. Seconds later, Umbreon stalked inside, whiskers twitching, behind him came Red and Green. "You are free to go," Tamen intoned. "But the next time I catch you thinking of committing a felony, I will take you in and you'll be lucky to glimpse the light of day again." His voice softened. "Don't make the same mistake twice." Giddy with relief, the quartet pranced out and the evolved monsters paused at the doorway and doled their gratitude. Frolicking in tight circles around the weak Zorua, Black cited a celebration was in order and vouched to go to the eatery; he eagerly pleaded with Red and waited for the final verdict.

Indecisive, Venusaur mulled over the proposition, even though they rescued Zorua from the clutches of a dictatorial Umbreon, he did not want to celebrate. Tamen simply did his job like the rest. Like the myriads of pokemon who worked together to create an intricate, thriving network, trampling on his job is uncalled for. A glimpse at Charizard revealed displeased irises and Red shook his head. "No, Tamen was doing his job," he said. "And he did a favor to us." Black's face fell and his brain whirred, ready to cough another excuse. "No," Red firmly insisted. "No victory feasts; rather, we should head to the Dojo and train." Both first stage pokemon stiffened in horror. "If you have time to pout, you have time to train, I can see the Dojo up ahead." Venusaur indicated with a vine and a nostalgic smile unfurled on his maw. "Hopefully Master Mei won't kill me for skipping classes."

* * *

The Dojo's rice paper doors soundlessly slid apart and a waft of sandalwood incense curled out of the heady interior. A training squad halted and briefly ogled the newcomers before resuming their exercises with renewed vigor. Striding through the ranks, Mienshao folded a sleeve of fur carefully over powder pink claws; pierced ears swiveled around, catching each and every war cry and grunt of misery. Eyes lighting up at the sight of Red and his cronies, she pressed warm palms against Charizard and Venusaur.

"You two have grown," her voice chimed akin to delicate glass and she patted their cheeks with more force than necessary. "I understand you are third stage monsters now." Her grin twisted a little on the displeased side. "However, no matter how big and strong you are, it does not excuse you from training!" The quiet admonishment roared louder than thunder, her hand darted up Green's tattooed neck and grasped his horn. Jabbing her hind leg against his midsection, she lifted the dragon and hurled him cleanly through the air. "Lesson number one, never miss a practice or you will regret setting a foot in this place." Hooking her tiny hands under Red's gargantuan skull, she tossed the plant type on his back and he rolled to the side, tree sticking up horizontally. Dusting her hands, Mei turned her mauve gaze to N then Black and smiled.

The two shook uncontrollably in her shadow.

Master Mei sequestered them to the adjacent training room where evolved monsters dominated the space. Cursing his luck, N slunk behind Green, carefully keeping to the shadows. He quickened his pace when a luxray trained its slit eyes on him. The morning's events seemed to take place a million years ago but Tamen, regretful and perhaps more than lonely, refused to leave N's mind. The feline was abhorred for his work and similarly, Zorua's displeasure at Mei's teaching methods blossomed into grudging respect. Banishing depressing thoughts from his head, N scrambled on to a training mat. The foam sunk slightly under his weight. Opposite him, Red and Green assumed their places and for the umpteenth time since he woke on the Beach of Evocation, Zorua felt a thrum of anger at the gravity of oppression. Red looked entirely too happy to fight and Black mirrored his enthusiasm, shouting random and often crude phrases which left Mei frowning delicately. Lips pressed into a scheming smirk, Oak launched into the air and wore a haughty smirk.

Somehow, the all-knowing, upturned tilt of his head ignited a competitive fire inside N.

Barely a second later, the airborne dragon crashed into a wooden beam as a blastoise unleashed a hydro pump at him. Through the freezing jets of water, gushing into his mouth, Green spied an all too familiar grin.

A pesky woman's smile.

* * *

 **A/N:** Ever since watching the Pokemon Movie featuring Zoroark, I've been fascinated by them. Tamen arrests N for committing taboo and both Red and Green's memories are failing them. Hope everyone enjoyed the chapter, reviews and constructive criticism are always appreciated.

At Jack54311: I think I watched the old movie, when I was a kid. I loved reading Roald Dahl's books. Yeah, poor Green, poor N too, having to be subjected by all forms of torture.


	27. Shattered dreams and broken resolve

**Shattered dreams and broken resolve**

Thick, ornamental ropes cordoned a velvet carpet running between two buildings. Barely seeing it between a forest of legs and bodies; Black, clutching a notebook, shouldered through the crowds and suffered more than one toe squash. Behind him, Bianca's shrill voice pierced the chattering crowd and he halted, waiting for Cheren's calm monotone to soothe her. The moment Cheren's firm voice reached Black's ears; he grinned and shot off. Adults stopped him every few meters or so and asked him questions he dreaded.

"Hey boy." One seedy roughneck, reeking of leather and boot polish, called. "Where are your parents?" he demanded through a mouthful of chipped teeth and the young boy blanked, wondering what sort of dental problems the man might face later on in life. "Hey kid, you listenin' to me?" The biker shook Black. "I asked you about your parents?"

Slipping free from the chokehold, Black bowed politely. "My mom thinks I'm at the library," he proudly announced and the roughneck gawked. "She doesn't know I snuck out and came all the way here...hmm gotta thank Cheren for the plan." A thoughtful frown creased his face. "In any case," his face lit up, "I came to see the Champions and gym leaders entering this year's tournament." Black inhaled deeply. "And I heard he is here...him!" He bounced. "Red, the youngest Champion in the history of Championships!" Squeaking gleefully, he melted into the crowd. Sputtering, the roughneck shook his head helplessly and combed the gathering; worry inflating his chest.

Completely losing himself in the sea of people did little to deter Black. Perplexed, he moved to get a view of the carpet but a hiker blocked his path. Muttering apologies at an ear-splitting volume, Black dived between an ace trainer's legs, and bowed profusely. Unfortunately, the girl's cyan pigtails bounced wrathfully and she left a stinging smack on his face. Shrugging the attack off, he crawled closer to the roped area and checked his watch, dangling loosely against a skinny, grimy wrist. Squashed against a grumbling, Veteran trainer and a cooing couple, Black waited, eyes glued to the entrance of a brick building to the left side. The domicile served as an arrival site for the Champions and once all of them gathered, they paraded to the lounge. Clutching his notebook and pen, lest they escape his clammy palms and fall to the hot asphalt, the boy shivered in excitement. The red-brick building doors sailed open and Black zeroed in on the line of Champions marching down the velvet carpet, his gaze firmly fixed at the teenager leading the procession.

Red, Black rattled facts inside his head, an orphan from Pallet Town, ousted the Elite Four and emerged as the new Champion. Kanto gained international fame for crowning the youngest Champion in history and many journeyed to the East in order to lay eyes on the boy wonder. Two burly guards, crown shaved to a reflective perfection, flanked Red on both sides and Black counted many more swarming behind the other Champions. Adoring fans pressed against the golden ropes and screamed. Despite the warning looks served by Driftveil's security guards, Red stepped out of the protective bubble and interacted, slapping palms and dishing smiles. A breath caught in Black's throat; maybe if he screamed loud enough, the teenager might notice him. The masses grew wild, Steven Stone, buckling under the weight of adoring female fans, emerged with a lipstick stain on his collar and a shaky smile. Behind him, Cynthia simply waved and the people worshipped her from afar. Resplendent in a knee length, silver trench coat and platinum blonde hair piled high in a ponytail, Black blushed at her smile. Bringing up the rear, Alder waved genially and cracked odd jokes whilst Black glared at him determinedly, one day, he will face Alder in a historic battle and take the Champion's mantle.

Precious minutes trickled as Black lost himself in a fanciful daydream. The crowd's deafening roar followed the Champions and snapping out of his reverie, Black panicked when Cynthia strode past. He fumbled with his notebook and sniffed back angry tears. How could he? Swallowing misgivings, he ran, dodging legs and leaving cursing patrons in his wake. Skidding, he narrowly avoided a shower of soda raining from a startled man's cup and expertly rolled underneath the ropes. Instantly, the burly escorts stepped protectively in front of Red. One of them touched the microphone attached to his mouth but before he could fire instructions to the other end, Red clapped a hand on the guard's shoulder and stepped forward.

"Hello." Red began and giddy with pleasure, Black hung on every word, the famed Champion of Kanto was actually speaking to him! "You are very brave to come all the way out here," The Kanto native's eyes crinkled. "What's your name?" Black screamed a reply and flushed when the teenager laughed. "Eh, I like your enthusiasm. Black...I won't forget your name in a hurry." The boy thrust his notebook and demanded for an autograph, curious, the rest of the Champions regarded the child. "This is Black," Red explained. "He rolled underneath the ropes so he could get himself an autograph." Steven broke into a pleasant laugh and scrawled his signature on the pad, he handed the wad of paper to Cynthia who grinned enigmatically and sent pink blooming across Black's cheeks. Alder jotted his name and handed the note back. "Well, I hope you grow up to be a fine trainer one day." Red ruffled the child's hair. A guard motioned for Black to step aside and he meekly held the prized autographs to his chest. Mom might kill him for coming all the way here, but Black got what he wanted and nothing in the world would dampen his spirits.

He inhaled and screamed.

 _I'm gonna be the Champion of the Unova pokemon league!_

It was by sheer coincidence that he saw Red several years later. Black, a teenager himself, ran errands for the BW agency and White enlisted Brav to film a commercial. Tired, he flopped on a park bench and observed White fussing around the set, desperate to perfect the shoot. A lot of foreigners mingled with Unova locals and the diversity pleased Black. He froze at a familiar figure striding towards the Ferris wheel. Compelled by a memory, he broke into a run. Alas the Kanto Champion climbed into a shiny cabin, followed by a girl and Black stopped short. What if Red was on a vacation with his girlfriend? Shrugging, he loitered, for the Ferris wheel to halt and the pair stepped out. Out of the corner of his eyes, Black regarded Red's female companion, a blue bubble skirt revealed a pair of toned, tanned legs and a colorful bandanna pushed a shock of caramel hair away from her eyes. Thin scars spiraled down bare arms and Black wondered what made them. The girl noticed him gawking and her lips curled back displeasingly. "That dude's been staring at me for quite a while now," she complained loudly and frowned. "Can I punch him? He looks suspicious." Alarmed at the way Red peered at him, Black swept off his cap, bowed and introduced himself.

"My name is Black," he blurted, hopping to see recognition. To his utter dismay, Red's eyes remained blank. Cold. "I'm the boy you met at the Pokemon World Tournament all those years ago." The Unovian swallowed. The Champion probably met more impressionable people than a screaming brat halting a march. "You gave me an autograph..."

Red's mouth dropped open. "You!" he exclaimed. "You are the crazy little boy screaming about being the next Unova Champion." The Kanto native examined Black. "I hardly recognized you since you grew so much." The Unovian sniffed embarrassedly. "Professor Juniper gave you a Pokedex, right?" Red asked and eager to please Black whipped out his digital encyclopedia, his pride swelling. "He has it, he's perfect Saph! I'm gonna take him," the Kanto Champion declared. "I know you have a passion for battling and your ambition to become the Champion proves it. Welcome to my team." Red announced and Black, elated to be part of the Champion's team, followed the Kanto native without question.

Later on, they led him to the Light Dragon stone and if he had qualms about breaking into a highly protected facility and stealing the stone from under the glare of a thousand cameras, he quashed them violently. Black felt entirely at home amongst Execution's chaos. Convincing White took a lot of effort but in the end, she vehemently refused to join the band of criminals. Offended, Black argued with her, they were not criminals, they were home.

They were a place where he could scream his daily goals without the fear of being labeled as an obsessive lunatic. Sometimes Pearl and Sapphire joined him in his bellowing and the three screeched till their voices became hoarse, till the other members clicked their tongue in mild annoyance and till they dropped from exhaustion and laughter.

"You will have to kidnap her." Green peered at him, searching, judging. "Can you do it? She is your best friend, perhaps," he did not smile, "something more." Sitting adjacent to Oak, Blue filed her nails but her lazuli irises darted under the cover of her glossy fringe. Splayed on the right side of the spiky haired commander, Red lounged, face unreadable. Black quickly peeked at his superior and the crimson eyes looked away.

The Unovian bowed. "I'll do it," he grinned, "don't worry, I'll get Prez back here in no time and she'll organize all your shelves, data and books." The strategy leader smiled thinly and Red's expression eased into an amiable smile.

Dragging an unwilling White all the way to Kanto did not prick his conscious. As he predicted, and his predictions _always_ came true, White warmed to the strategy members with little resistance and before long, her stony countenance melted only to be replaced by fierce determination and adoration. Black watched her, his heart melting when she sent him happy grins.

And then came N

N, an enigma, a puzzle more complex than the cube strapped perpetually to his pants. An individual exploited by practically everyone because of his gift to understand pokemon.

They found him hiding in one of the caves dotting the slopes of Victory Road. A climbing accident led Black to free-fall to his death, arms wind milling wildly and his pokemon screeching frantically. The missions doled by the top commanders often ended with drastic consequences; however, they were always careful not to put the younger members in grievous harm's way. Hitting a rock cliff, Black barely moaned as his skin tore off, a burning, stinging pain raced down his back but the thoughts crowding his mind, dominated his attention. The wind howled and the sky rushed further and further away. Another collision with an outstretched boulder tugged him back to reality. This is it, Black thought, he will die, a mere splat of crushed bones and blood, a smear on the slopes of Victory Road and he will leave all his pokemon, his friends and family behind. Most importantly, he would never best Iris and become the Champion of Unova.

A tear sailed from his eye and joined the sky.

Suddenly, a pair of bony arms broke his fall. Half conscious, Black registered a cave and laid his eyes on N. He expected more from the person claiming to understand pokemon but the man in front of him was pale as bone with a forest of tea green hair and a face screwed in a permanent expression of worry. When Black tried to fight him, the worry morphed into a teary, attacked visage and the two teenagers gawked at the so called King of Team Plasma. Persuading N to join the Dex Criminals was easy, the adolescent was confused and manipulated, with nowhere to go, he begrudgingly followed Black. Exhilarated by the assignment's success, Black and White lead N to a new life.

Team Plasma's flying ship was a state of the art, airborne fortress and it hovered above an ivory castle surrounding the Unova Pokemon league. Leaning dangerously against the ship's railing, Black gawped, excited to finally lay eyes on his goal. His grip on the metal bars tightened and he sucked air, preparing to scream his goals to the International Police, Plasma Sages, Elite four and anyone bothering to listen. Before he could do so, another low voice cut through the din.

"Fire!" Red commanded, raising his hand and the fire types on deck, vomited flames. Gasping, Black stared, not quite believing what he saw; the once Champion burning down the Unova League? Was this a mistake? But the satisfied smile on his commander's face stated otherwise and blinded by the situational injustice, Black blindly marched to the man. Grabbing a fistful of the Red's shirt, he screamed.

"Why?" Words failed to explain the disappointment and anger roaring through his veins. "Why?!" He pointed to the burning league. The night sky tinted into a dirty orange and palls of smoke choked the air. Locking eyes with the silent Red, Black understood when he glimpsed defeat. Becoming the Unova Champion was not a suitable goal anymore, Black must think higher than that. Higher than becoming the Pokemon Association's pawn. Fingers cramping from the vise grip, Black let go and hung his head, the ground disappeared from beneath his sneakers and he floated in air. Unanchored and confused. Powerful searchlights pierced the fog and he simply sidestepped to avoid being caught by the beam.

He missed N jumping from the deck and sprinting to the half ruined Team Plasma headquarters.

Roughly shoving Black aside, Red leaned over the railing and bellowed, "N! Get back here!" The furious roar smacked the numb Unovian, _could senior Red sound so...Enraged_? Eyeing the prehistoric dragon busting into the night, Black searched and sure enough, N zigzagged through the debris and bee-lined for the castle; without thinking, the brown haired teenager hopped on Brav and soared. "Black." Execution's commander smoldered but an undercurrent of worry laced his voice. "Aero, follow them and bring them back to me at all costs."

Black did not know whether he should be more afraid of the unknown ice fortress ahead, or of the determined rock dragon tailing them. Either way, N wanted to confront Ghetsis and as his best friend, Black will do the same.

The chill in the castle gnawed on his bone marrow but seeing Kyurem fettered at Ghetsis feet, sickened Black. Blasts of white air escaped the beast's nostrils and froze the ground. Sitting pompously on an alabaster throne, Ghetsis grinned, demanding for Reshiram and Zekrom. Distilled hate filled Black's chest. _Give up Reshiram?_ He thought and bit his tongue, _how dare that arrogant old man order such a thing!_ Clenching his fists, he pitched forward but N held him back. Zekrom appeared, standing menacingly behind its master. Instead of appearing distraught, Ghetsis leapt up from his throne and Kyurem growled, breaking free of its icy manacles. Black did not need to understand pokemon; he comprehended the misery radiating from the boundary dragon. The wicked sage brandished a pair of DNA splicers and whilst N argued with his former father, alarm bells pounded in Black's head. He tried to warm N; however, the warning came too late.

Zekrom and Kyurem fused, creating a monstrosity which N failed to understand. "I can't hear him!" he shouted and wiped the salty tears pooling at his lips. "What have you done, undo the fusion immediately!" The desperation in his voice gave Black a new purpose.

A new dream.

A new goal.

Reshiram joined the battle and for the first time in his life, Black felt truly at one with his pokemon. The vast white dragon opened up to him completely and he was both humbled and honored by the experience. In spite of Black Kyurem's wrath, Reshiram held its own, ducking and diving gracefully to avoid bolts of lighting and projectiles of ice. The teenager, gripping tufts of creamy white fur, panted, he held on tight when Reshiram spun through the air, narrowly avoiding a volley of icicle spears. Chunks of ice and a crackling ball of lightning cannoned out of Kyurem's mouth and pelted Reshiram; the dragon sailed through the air, reduced a grooved column into two ragged halves and smacked against the far wall. Head colliding, Black touched his neck, relieved to find it unbroken. He gently urged his pokemon and the monster peeled itself off the wall. Its turbo tail belted a plume of flames. Propelling forward, Reshiram tore one of Kyurem's wings and roasted the crippled ice dragon in a vortex of hell hot flames. The fused dragonoid wobbled out of the fire, leaking blood and growling piteously and even through Black saw charred bones; Kyurem still had the energy to perform one last attack.

He never saw it coming.

A shaft of thick ice rocketed out of Kyurem, slid between two rib bones and wedged in Reshiram's still beating heart. Sitting on the dragon's back, Black jarred with the impact and became still. He imagined the blossom of scarlet. He definitely imagined it when Reshiram stopped beating its beautiful, feathered wings and plummeted to the ground with a stomach sickening crash. Sliding off, Black ran to the dragon's head, shoes squeaking on ice. Reshiram eyed him glassily and snorted lukewarm flames.

"It's okay buddy, I got you." The trainer soothed and dug inside his backpack. "Here, these will patch you right up." Black declared with more confidence than he felt and cupped a mixture of berries. "You like natural stuff right? Open wide and let me feed you." His voice cracked and he pressed the soggy mess against Reshiram's lips, staining it with a variety of colors. The fire dragon's eyes slid shut and its breathing grew laborious. "No, don't sleep," Black whispered and tears blurred his vision. _Tears_? Stubbornly, he blinked them away and focused on finding a max revive. Prying the wyrm's mouth open, he gently placed crystal as far as he could manage, Reshiram's hot breath blasted on his forearm and it renewed his hope. His partner will pull out of this. "Don't sleep," the Unovian pleaded softly and stroked the pokemon's head. "It's alright, I'm here with you."

Bright white light beamed from Reshiram's body and N froze in horror. "Bla-" his shout caught in his throat. "Black, get away from Reshiram, he is reverting to his stone form and you will be sucked in."

"Please listen to him!" White shrilled next to the leaf haired adolescent and for a brief second, Black wanted to pull away, just to make her happy. "Please, I don't want to lose you," she cried and his heart ached, more tears flooded his eyes and he could not see his friends any more.

Instead of complying with their demands, he hugged Reshiram, the dragon hummed and ethereal warmth engulfed them both. Content flooded in his chest and he smiled as a miniature black hole ripped inside the room. Black condensed into light and with Reshiram, folded into a sphere of albicant stone.

A crack marred the sphere's surface but when returned to its rightful place, it filled and the stone resumed its flawless quality. Unfortunately, Reshiram never heeded another trainer's call. Deep inside the stone's hyper dimensional core, the dragon kept Black alive for many torturous years till the human turned into a former husk of itself. Starved beyond the limits of a normal body, Black quietly passed away one evening, mere seconds before a deluge hit Unova. Reshiram watched the boy's scrawny ribcage rise and fall in shallow breaths till it eventually stopped breathing. He was not supposed to feel sorry for the human but the dragon pressed his face against the boy's sunken one and crooned sadly. No other trainer gave up their dreams to stay with a dying dragon.

And no other trainer will be fit to command Reshiram around.

* * *

Afternoon

Gehenna

Dojo

The world blurred into focus and Tepig made out a lattice of varnished beams supporting a wooden ceiling. He stared for a while, trying to grasp a memory before it eluded him completely. N often shared stories with the others and their conversations induced a pang of jealousy. Black remembered nothing, the hazy bits and pieces which sometimes plagued his dreams, sounded vastly unfamiliar to the memory of 'Black' his friends talked about. Obsessive ambition drove the human Black about, according to N, he could not think about anything either than becoming a pokemon Champion - whatever that was - and the one track minded individual needed to vacuum his brains. Human Black was very intelligent, his stratagems often impressed Green. Scowling, Tepig struggled to his aching trotters, impressing Green was not on his agenda and the only thing he wanted to do is eat, sleep, be merry and stay with his current family.

Grunting with every movement, Black watched Venusaur unconsciously inching towards a slant of sunlight pouring through a slatted window, the piglet crawled to him and settled down, mellowed by the sweet scent. Soft murmuring wormed into his ears and he ignored them, hoping to catch more sleep. Even though Mei decreed the training would be a friendly battle, Red did not hold back, each strike from his vines felt like a beating from an iron rod and sleep vanished from Black's eyes as he replayed the session in his mind.

Inside the secondary training chamber, where evolved monsters tussled, Black sauntered alongside Red, his tail held high. On a foam mat, he assumed his position next to N and waited. Growling when Green took to the air, Tepig pawed the ground. Oak was everything Black could not be; intelligent, reliable, level headed and overwhelmingly powerful. Switching his attention on Venusaur, Black found him much more relatable. Red, unlike the perfect, jade eyed dragon, showed emotion easily. Passion glinted in his eyes, which were a color similar to Cheri berries and he smelled nice, a bit like N. Before the fire pig sprang into action, Zorua morphed into a Blastoise and another stirring of envy hit Black; N could effortlessly perform his illusions and they grew so powerful, Darkrai commented on it. Twin jets of freezing water exploded out of the tortoise monster's cannons and clobbered Green. He smacked into the far side of the room and slid down the wall. Withdrawing into its shell, Blastoise whizzed across the training ground and the other monsters wisely scurried out of its way. Whilst Red concentrated on his soaking friend, Black wasted no time in attacking, underhanded tactics, yes; but he knew Venusaur could effectively take care of himself.

Flames erupted from Tepig's hooves; he bombarded his sizable bulk into Red's flank and the latter gasped in pain. Venusaur nearly toppled off his feet, his hide blistered and before acid rained, Black sprang away, holding his breath when Red released a cloud of spores. Shrieking, Tepig narrowly avoided a vine and backtracked, raking his brains for a solution to those nasty tendrils. A giant tortoise tumbled in the periphery of his vision and Blastoise morphed into Swanna. Dark rainclouds gathered beneath the rafters and Black scowled, did N forget? Observing her students, Mei smiled and her ribboned tail swished from side to side, the perfectly constructed rain clouds fooled her for a second

And then, it poured.

Yelping indignantly, Black dodged great splats of water. Grumbling, he puffed an experimental fireball and it hissed into smoke. A chorus of angry yells and shouts permeated the training room as fire and ground types voiced their complaints. The vegetation on Red's back delved into hyper-growth and instead of confronting him, Black ran, hooves skidding across the wet floor. If he reached Green, hopefully the dragon could char those creeping tendrils into a pile of charcoal. Twisting, Tepig fired a flamethrower, inwardly proud of the roaring flames. The fire burnt a few meters of the vines, but, they kept on coming. Through the curtain of rain, he spied a large sphere of yellow light gathering on top of Red's flat tree. Squealing, Black abandoned all strategic thoughts and bolted. Arceus knew how much a solar beam blasted from Red, hurt. The beam ripped with a boom of a tiny explosion and the sound of splintering tiles added to the din. Faster than anyone could blink, the pillar of energy nailed Tepig squarely on his behind and the screaming piglet cannoned into Green, who thawed from Lapras' ice beam. Bodies mashing together, the two fire types instantly lost consciousness whilst Red and Zorua grinned triumphantly.

Mei however, did not smile.

And now she stood over a groggy Black and called him repeatedly, lifting a heavy eyelid, he glanced at her harrowed visage and ignored her. His bones ached and he did not want to deal with any distractions. "Later," he mumbled. Unfortunately, Mienshao pinched his eyelid and the wavelet of sharp pain shocked him. "Stop it!" he screeched and blinked. "I'm sore and tired, let me sleep."

"I know you need your sleep," Mei chimed, "but the mess will not clean up by itself." She gestured to the multitude of ripped tiles poking from the ground. "The evacuees complained about splinters in their hides. I can't seem to wake Red up," she declared solemnly, ears twitching and the studs caught a flash of sunlight. "He is sleeping like the dead." Hearing this, Black nudged his caretaker; lately, he and Green slept through all their free time, the fire piglet missed their evening strolls because the moment those two came home, Red shuffled to his room and Oak, more often than not, keeled in the living room, before long, their floor will have a charizard shaped outline on it.

"Wake up," Black kicked Venusaur and the grass type merely puffed a miniature cloud of lilac spores. "Fire!" Screamed Tepig but Red muttered something about hormones and Green and kept on snoring. Opposite the fire type, N, startled out of his slumber, confusedly scanned the room. "Huh? A grass type who is not scared of flames? Then what is he scared of?" Black asked and the plant pokemon's face slipped into a scowl.

Half-awake but not ready to confront the mess inside the training room, Green listened to the conversations floating above his head; he angled his face to a bewildered Black. "He is afraid of losing those who are close to him," the dragon slurred. He remembered Red, as a bulbasaur, crawling after him in the trial of Pride. "Fire doesn't bother him because of us, but he's terrified of bugs..." Charizard turned over, a mischievous spark in his emerald eyes. Mirroring his impish grin, Tepig leaned close to Red's ear, crawling with tufts of ferns and whispered.

"There's a joltik crawling in your ear."

Charizard sidestepped when a dozen vines burst out of Red's back and instinctively noosed on to anything it deemed harmful. Standing the closest, Black bore the full brunt of the surprise attack and a braid of vines nosed around his neck, hefting him in the air. Glaring deplorably at Green, Black attempted to free himself but Red snored on, impervious to the flames licking his vegetation. Waking with a snort, Venusaur questioned, "Hey Black, what are you doing up there, getting tangled in my vines?" His sleepy smile melted under Mei's displeased expression. "Uh...About the training room floor," he sheepishly murmured, "I'll pay for the damages. The Park Emporium will supply wood and the guild's conkeldurr would be more than happy to help rebuild the dojo. Sorry, I tend to get excited when I battle." Still struggling against the vines squeezing around his neck, Black eventually tore the shoots knotting his mouth shut and ordered Red to free him. "Yikes, sorry about wrapping you up, you must've scared me somehow-"

N frowned. "He said a joltik got in your ear…you don't remember?" Zorua asked and Green suppressed a delighted snort whilst Black threw a splintered beam at him. Shuddering at the mention of insects, Red shook his head. "So you have an innate defending mechanism, even though you were fast asleep, your reaction time was flawless. If you squeezed any harder, you could've strangled Black." N mused.

"Don't give him ideas!" Tepig shouted and refocused his attention on Green; maybe he should get a bucket of water and douse his tail flames. "You suck, I could've died you know, he cut off my air supply!" Black moaned, shaking his hoof at the smirking dragon. "You always make me do the difficult stuff and you don't care about consequences!"

A storm brewed on the horizon the moment Green's irises dulled in color. Alarmed, Red tried to wedge himself between Black and his friend, but Oak extended a wing and a harsh gust of wind forced Venusaur to stop. Sensing tension, Mei stepped forward and N shook his head. "I put you in harm's way and I don't care about the consequences?" Green demanded softly but the cutting edge in his voice could cleave an ice floe. _I saved your sorry hide more often than once!_ "You are right," the dragon agreed. He remembered the time he smacked Tepig into a grille. "I'm selfish and prideful." A pause followed his words and Black petrified, agape mouth seeking for an explanation for Green's mannerisms. "I'm sorry." Charizard's head drooped and Tepig wilted, for some reason; the entire, harrowing episode thrust a great weight on his shoulders. Oak's apology was sincere and Black swallowed his earlier comment whilst N's slate irises bored into him.

"...I'm the one who's supposed to be sorry," Tepig whispered and turned away when Green arched a questioning eyebrow. "I give you too much trouble and I don't remember anything."

 _Nothing at all._

Hopping to the fractured tiles, Tepig uprooted them one by one; normally he hated chores, N volunteered for cooking duty whilst Green cleaned up. Strange as it sounded, Red accounted the bills, citing it helped him with the Park Emporium's administration. Only Black offered to laze around, complain about hunger and break something on a daily basis. A jagged splinter pierced his mouth but he refused to squeal in pain, swallowing a trickle of blood and saliva, he determinedly pulled out another broken tile, the physical labor distracted him from unpleasant thoughts. A thousand contemplations pounded in Black's cranium and he failed to focus on a single thought, the buzzing in his mind intensified and left him blank.

Blank, but not free.

Next day, early morning

Treasure Town

Mart

A myriad of smells caused Green to sneeze, he sniffed and a ring of ice type pokemon, scouring a display window, faltered away. Nose tickled, Charizard sneezed again and a miniscule puff of fire caught on Red's back. Panicking slightly, he searched for water to douse the flame before Red screeched murder; grabbing large container from a random stall's shelf, he threw the liquid over the plant type and blanched. The fluid in the bottle was not water, far from it, a sickly sweet smell wafted from the splashed liquid and Green dropped the vial, gagging at the aroma. A horrific sweet scent assaulted his nose, like the force of a thousand, grinning Reds and he stumbled back, pressing steel tipped claws on his nostrils. A scowling zangoose emerged from behind the counter and pointed a painted nail at the mess.

"What was that for you idiot?" He snarled and regarded the smashed vial at Green's feet. "My...My precious vase." Zangoose crouched to the stone paved floor, picking up the painted ceramic pieces delicately. "You destroyed it, can't you tell the difference between water and perfume you uncultured dolt?" Behind the raving monster, Black sniggered. "I see you have two huge nostrils screwed into your face," Zangoose carried on relentlessly, "and I heard fire dragons have a keen sense of smell, but I suppose your sense of smell rotted off for some reason." Grunting endlessly, the white furred monster cradled the broken vial into his arms and placed them reveredly on to the counter. "Cough up the coins," he ordered. "Or else I'll give a scar on your mug to match your hide."

Suppressing a sneeze and a chuckle, Charizard hefted a pouch of coins and notes on the counter. "That will be more than enough," he muttered distractedly and swept the colorful market for a water source. Turning away, he marched off but the pokemon's hand firmly clamped on a wing. "What do you want?" Green demanded, growing impatient. "I need to go somewhere urgently and you are delaying me." His jade eyes narrowed into pinheads. Zangoose disgustedly pointed to the hefty piles of coins and notes scattered on his counter and declared the payment was not enough. "Not enough?" Oak echoed disbelievingly, that was last month's salary. "What do you mean it's not enough? Where did the perfume vial come from? Tzion?" Charizard roared. "Look, I'm really in a hurry, my best friend's back is on fire and I need to find water. Also, I don't have any more money with me; I'll come back and pay you the rest," he promised.

Zangoose shook his head and Oak reared to his full height. Behind him, two streets away, he heard Red and Tepig arguing over the color of gummis and the duo whaled on the quivering shopkeeper. The dragon snorted, glared haughtily at the shopkeeper and strode away. By now, a pall of smoke wafted from Venusaur's back and Black looked up, concern marring impish features. Mumbling an excuse, he dashed away. Yesterday's argument hit Oak in full force and he paused in the middle of the street. The piglet reproached Green for being selfish and the dragonoid fully agreed with him. He did not care, he never took anything as personally as Red, the only reason he tolerated the two, first stage monsters was because his best friend cared for them very much. He pondered on the relations between living creatures, what tied them together? What created bonds? Memories made with one another? Did he truly care for Layla or did he simply tolerate her for the sake of peace?

A whizzing ball of electricity smashed on him and he toppled, beating his wings to regain balance. The sparks dissipated to reveal a pikachu blinking owlishly. A variety of apples and cookies burst from a leafy bag slung around its forearm and the articles smeared Charizard's coat. "I'm so sorry," Pikachu squeaked and bowed, a colorful flower, dislodged from her ear and floated to the dusty ground. "I'm not used to his body," she chirped and repacked the things inside her bag. She reached a tiny, clean paw for a doughnut hanging off Green's jaw and flushed. "Um...you can have the doughnut," the electric pokemon peeped and picked the flower off the ground, she stared at it and a flash of sadness overcame her limpid, brown eyes. "Thank you for being understanding, I'll go now." Pikachu scurried down the road and looked back. "I don't think I asked for your name?" She inquired, holding her breath; but Charizard merely flicked the cookie from his jaw, he pretended not to hear the question and stomped away, back to a soaking Red and a guffawing Black.

He remembered the vacuous space in his chest following Layla's death.

Since N and Tepig crashed into his life, the space constricted. There, but not quite there.

Then, his manager and Simisear were ripped away from their fragile existences and the hole widened again.

Standing before the duo, Charizard jerked his claw towards the fuming Zangoose and said, "That stall sells essential oils and perfume, I think you should go check it out." True to his nature, Red's eyes gleamed and he shot off, back still smoking. Squealing, Black tried to tear after him but Green scooped him up. "I want to talk to you," he added. The piglet squirmed, screaming for Red and Oak fastened a hand on his snout. "I sent him away for a reason," Charizard growled. He brandished a square of glossy chocolate and Tepig quieted down. "Here, this is for you." Green thrust the confectionery into the piglet's face; quite sure the little glutton will gobble it in a second and rush after Red.

"I don't accept bribes," Black declared, one eye fixated on the glossy chocolate.

Sighing, Oak waved the square and Tepig's greedy little irises followed. "It's not a bribe," he hastily reassured. "Think of it as a gift...you made me realize something."

"That you suck?" Black eagerly asked, a victorious and sardonic smile on his snout.

"...Yes," Charizard concurred, "I suck."

Tepig did not like the defeated tone lacing the dragon's words. "Well...I guess you aren't so bad," he stated. An uncomfortable pause descended on their stilted exchange and a yell shattered the silence. Red towed a murderous Zangoose and screeched about broken ceramic whilst a burst of flame ignited Charizard's claws. As Venusaur shunted past, he nailed his fist squarely into the feline's face and hoped the bipedal pokemon stayed down. To his dismay, and grudging respect, Zangoose rose to its feet and quick as lightning, scored three parallel cuts across Green's face.

An arc of vermillion blood spurt into the air, dotting the floor and Zangoose's snow white fur. Black charged at Zangoose, bounced off the taller pokemon, undeterred, he roared a flame thrower but a gust of wind whipped the fire away and barely allowed him to hear the feline sputter about an abhorrently expensive perfume vial.

"Yeah, he'll pay you back." Black stared squarely at Zangoose and behind him; Red poured healing spores on the lacerations slashing Green's face. A crowd gathered to the commotion and tutted in annoyance. "He's not the type to rip someone off so you'll get your money, now go away." Happy with the way he handled the situation, Black whirled, seeking his seniors' approval. Smile faltering at the scars running diagonally across. Charizard's face, Tepig suggested, "Maybe we should go home for today? We can always come back and buy stuff at a later date." Despite his injuries, Green shook his head. "I know you must complete the dungeons as quick as possible." Black's voice wavered; completing the trials meant his caretakers will eventually leave him. "But it's improbable to do so when you are crippled, if you don't treat that wound properly, you'll go blind like that stupid Wigglytuff." A ripple of astonished gasps erupted from the crowd but Tepig hardly cared.

Guild master Wiggly nearly sacrificed him.

* * *

Idly tossing the satchel's contents on the forest floor, Red checked his inventory. A couple of max revives should be enough for anyone on the brink of death. Food articles spilled on the ground, gummis and berries, squares of chocolate and four leaf-cookies. Berry concoctions and potions went into a compartment next to waxed apples and yellow skinned bananas. Venusaur came more than prepared. Standing at the edge of a clearing, the grass type checked his backpack one last time and repacked, Charizard did the same, tail flicking in annoyance. The duo glanced behind them and Red sighed when he noticed a rustle in the undergrowth.

He spun to face the bigger problem.

N and Black.

The two tailed them through the forest and right up to Sloth's Trial. How they managed to bypass a locked door and apartment vestibule, Red only wondered. Tail sticking up like an orange beacon, Black held his head high, his small satchel probably filled only with food. Wagging anxiously, N stood his ground, a similar bag brushed against his thick fur and he scanned the clearing for unknown dangers. A thicket of trees plunged the next stretch of land into a murky gloom and it contained, Red shuddered, those carnivorous plants.

"Black, this is Sloth's trial; I trust you've read the books?" Venusaur questioned, the piglet shook his head and N nodded vigorously. "Then you know this trial must be completed last. There is a reason why it's called the Last Trial." Spindly, sable trees poked though the ground carpeted by crinkled leaves. "Sloth's trial is very difficult; it's not like Wrath or Greed or Gluttony. Sloth is about laziness, the moment you step into the forest, a paralyzing tiredness will overcome you. Sounds funny right, defeated by laziness?" Red held the younger monster's gaze, desperately imparting the fruitlessness of their struggles. "We often think laziness as a bad habit, however you feel so tired in this area, and it is a huge area," the plant type hastily added, "that you will fall asleep before seeing the trial marker poem. It is DANGEROUS!" Red thundered when Black attempted to scurry past him. "Go back; I don't want to be held responsible for another death!"

His words echoed in the sparse clearing. N's tail stopped flopping for a moment and confusion swamped him, another death? Who were they talking about? Venusaur hyperventilated, eyes wide and ribboned with scarlet veins; Green soothed his friend by muttering quietly and snatching glances at Black every few seconds, straining his ears, N tried to catch their conversation and failed.

"No. We take care of them and my say is final," Red obstinately stated and glowered at the dragon.

Hide and tattoos rippling, Charizard extended his wings. "Don't be such a numb skull," he chastised. "You are not their only caretaker, if something happens to them, I'll fly them out. Stop taking responsibility for everything that happens, including events beyond your control." Oak stressed the last part and meaningfully stared at his companion, huffing, Venusaur looked away.

"In case you need a reminder," he scathed and eyed the foreboding plantation. "We ultimately led to her death."

* * *

 **A/N:** After writing the flashback episode at the beginning of this chapter, I suddenly want to do a proper sequel of Blaec Iustice…but I haven't played any of the games after Black and White and Allister from the new gym kind of intrigues me. Are we ever gonna see what's underneath that mask?

Probably not.

At Jack54311: Heh, I miss writing Blue, I really do. I like the way I crafted Tamen and although I like dark type pokemon, I never use them in my teams, apart from hydreigon – because, three headed dragons are cool. Yeah, they are not supposed to try and remember who they were, their passing from Gehenna should be clean.


	28. Capture your youth while you still can

**Capture your youth, while you can**

A chorus of giggles broke in a chamber filled with smoke and pulling the pipe stem clamped between his teeth, Lasich laughed, potbelly jiggling with effort. Wiping a stray tear, he leaned into a padded chair, short legs lifting off the ground. A floatzel placed a footstool in front of his feet and the portly man considered the delicate, ivory stool. He nodded at the monster and it retreated into the shadows, clawing at the slave collar around its neck. Its master, a sallow faced man with paper thin lips and a permanent sneer, shot a warning look at floatzel and the beast clutched a heavy tapestry to shield himself from the threat of pain.

Documents and a stack of bills lay on a low metallic table amidst slim cigars and a crystal bowl of candied fruits. Lasich stared at the bowl and after much staring and finger pointing, a young boy, frayed cap pulled over a shock of lime green hair, placed the entire bowl of sugared fruits into Lasich's lap and the man grinned, tossing the fruits one by one into his mouth and ignoring the palpable tension in the air. Maybe if he told another joke, the heavy atmosphere would dissipate, besides, he pondered, work could wait another day.

Outside the window, a factory chugged smoke and shackled pokemon toiled endlessly whilst their masters whipped them. Lips quirking into a disgusted frown, a man melting into the shadows cast by the room's candlelight, briefly touched a short sword and eyed Lasich distastefully. He peered from behind a mask and inhaled. They have been inside this smoke filled room for four, no, five hours and the indolent official still did not reach a conclusion. Dropping into a crouch, the masked guard prepared to wait for an entire day, when Lasich walked into a room full of people, he merely stalled for time, opting to admire the decorations hung on the walls. He took great delight in the weaves of patterned curtains and ever since he stepped foot into Hoenn, a fact the guard loathed with every fiber of his being, Lasich pounced on the nearest assassin sent to kill him and adopted the ninja as a personal butler.

A butler; decreed to dress in stiffened uniforms hailing from Kalos. Taking one look at the black slacks, waistcoat and pressed shirt, the assassin shredded them and opted for a billowing kimono stamped with his family crest. He wore the silk proudly, hoping to be fired. Alas, the foreigner loved the kimono and often spent hours staring and trailing his fingers across the cloth.

Now the butler sat on the ground, legs benumbed by ceramic tiles; he hated the westernization of Hoenn. If anything, his current master, who ogled at the crystal bowl in his lap, is the one to be blamed.

The smoke inside the room turned into an opaque cloud of dirty white and a window opened. More smoke stained air rushed in and several men coughed. One, impatient, pointed to the pile of letters strewn over the table and stressed for an ending to the meeting. Instead of concluding the negotiations, Lasich puffed on his pipe and offered his guests cups of tea. The leaders inside the suffocating chamber nodded, eager to please. Despite his eccentric tendencies, Lasich never did anything by force. A contented smile from him often mitigated the worst of tempers. The previous lime haired, freckled faced youth rushed around, serving cups of sickly sweet tea and coffee.

Talks turned from occupying Hoenn, to the latest fashion trends in Kalos. The sheaf of papers and bills lay forgotten and soon, the sun sunk beneath a range of ragged mountains. As evening dawned, the men placed their ornamental cups on the table and Lasich wobbled to his feet, waving a silk fan. He sincerely apologized for wasting the men's time and the other leaders assured him whole heartedly. "I am just so tired," he yawned. "But worry not; I will take care of this mess the next time we meet." The corners of his baby blue eyes crinkled into a smile and he turned towards his guard. "Fu, make sure these men are not troubled, I will leave without you."

The guard unfolded, noting the unspoken order. "Fuma, not Fu," he hissed and the other foreigners stared in horrified astonishment. "Go, I'll take care of these men," Fuma slurred, his tongue unaccustomed to the strange language. "You want them killed?" he quickly confirmed in native tongue and Lasich smiled disarmingly, a ray of dying sunshine illuminated his head of rose tinted hair, painting a picture of perfect innocence. "As you wish." Fuma waited for the door to close before sliding his short sword out of a lacquered sheath. The patrons eyed him bewilderedly but one caught on. Floatzel shot from its hiding space and the ninja thrust his blade in the pokemon's abdomen and sliced upwards. Flicking the blade free of azure blood, he lunged, in five minutes, all ten men dropped dead.

Red blooming on their chests.

The next afternoon, Fuma guarded the private garden; a fragrant hedge decorated the borders of a spacious mansion and behind the dense growth of bushes, the rest of Rustboro City sprawled. Shouts echoed from beyond the mansion, workers toiled in the streets, carrying mud in straw baskets atop their heads. Tuning out from the commotion, Fuma turned towards the couple inside the garden. Vivid petunias tossed in a light breeze. A ring of tall evergreen trees shaded a seating area and lounging on the swing; Lasich's wife bounced a ruddy cheeked baby in her lap. The tiny child reached for his father, who absentmindedly toyed with the baby whilst his spouse glowered. She glanced backwards and Fuma diverted his eyes away from her bewitching, violet stare. Instead, he focused on the baby. His fingers twitched and he briefly touched the comforting blade strapped to his waist.

Trees rustled and the baby giggled. "So, you killed them," the woman's voice dripped scornfully. "Was there no other way?" she asked. "You could conclude the negotiations instead of lazing around and smoking!" A flush of red reached the roots of her blonde hair and she clenched long, slender fingers into a tight fist. "Fuma, it is your job to make sure you Lord does everything correctly," the wife admonished and he jerked. None of these outsiders pronounced his name properly. Switching attention to her husband, she snapped, "And my father did not marry me over so I could simply see you sit and rot. For Yelvetal's sake, do some work. If the occupation of Hoenn goes smoothly, we can return home." The child giggled, sliding across her cashmere dress. None of the parents paid any attention to the gurgling baby, one too preoccupied with sleep and the other hissing under her breath.

Crossing the garden in flighty strides and breaking the cardinal rule of never sticking his nose into affairs which did not concern him, Fuma snatched the baby from a certain doom and the foreign couple looked in alarm. "I will take care of the baby," he spoke in a rapid burst of his native tongue and the man nodded whilst the female bristled and opened her mouth. "You are not my master," the guard articulated slowly. "You are not entitled to everything I say." The mistress' painted lips pressed into a thin, displeased smile. Tucking the suddenly quiet child in the crook of his arm, Fuma disappeared into the house. Only when he crossed the living room, with its granite fire place and feather stuffed couches, did he stop and look at the child. The boy sported curls of honey hair on an oversized head the eyes were a soul sucking lilac. Tilting his head curiously, much like his father, the child scrunched his face, fat tears gathering at the corners of his eyes. Abruptly, he stopped and reached for the guard's mask. Fuma let him; the brat could do no harm. The mask fell away with a soft clatter and the child's face lit up in glee.

"Fu!" the boy shrilled and Fuma jumped, silver eyes darting around the room. "Fu...Fu!" the tiny human exclaimed proudly. "Fuma!" For a moment, the ninja considered throwing the child back to his mother but the earnest twinkling in the boy's irises froze him in his tracks. "Fuma..." the baby warbled and snuggled against him, a soft footfall echoed in the hallway and Fuma bent to retrieve his mask. Lasich's head peeked over the door frame, baby blue eyes widened in surprise.

The official sidled inside the room, gaze roaming to the most comfortable couch. "What an unconventional first word," he indolently stated and plopped down. "Out of all the combinations he could possibly spout, he says your name." The silence choking the chamber broke in the form of hurried heels clacking on the floor. "Congratulations darling, our baby's first word turned out to be Fuma." Lasich's wife halted in her tracks and stared at the guard accusingly. "Now don't scare him away, Fu is incredibly loyal-" a loud yawn punctuated the sentence, "-and he does his duty, no matter how gruesome or unpleasant." The lady gestured for her child and prying fingers off his magenta silk shirt, Fuma dumped the baby in waiting arms. "So?" Lasich prompted, "You always complain that we can't pronounce your name properly, how did my baby fare?"

"Horrible," Fuma snarled venomously. He glimpsed the rosy baby. "You have an audience with the gang leader of Slateport Town tomorrow," he informed curtly. "Don't be late and don't embarrass me," the escort spat. Lasich smiled cordially and the ninja evaporated into the shadows.

The designated meeting was a rusting warehouse perched at a bluff overlooking the sea. Gnawing on his pipe stem, Lasich waited for Fuma to finish scouting, an un-collared vigoroth paced around the Lord and observed him with piercing, silver eyes. Seconds later, Fuma materialized and Lasich breathed a sigh of relief. The door to the crumbling warehouse opened on rusted hinges and the official sailed through. His sense of thrill quickly morphed into dismay at the lack of soft cushions. Dusty crates, reeking of stale fish, juxtaposed with barrels. Iron bars shut begrimed windows and wrinkling his nose, Lasich resignedly sat on one of the higher, cleaner barrels. Fuma watched the entire floor from a web of steel columns supporting the roof. Several minutes later, the gates burst open with a squeal of metal and a rag tag group spilled inside, leering at the foreigner sitting awkwardly on a barrel, the gang assumed their places on adjacent crates and thus began the meeting.

Six torturous hours later, Lasich shared cups of rice wine with his fellow gang members. He and Slateport's crime boss sat on the cold floor and sung a drunken revelry. A curled parchment, a deed, lay at their feet and Lasich keeled, punting his head on the gang leader's lap. An earth shaking cheer shook the warehouse's rusted walls and above, Fuma gritted his teeth. His fingers cramped from holding on the railings and he dropped, pulling his legs to reduce impact and noise. Unsheathing his blade, he tiptoed to the drunk members and the blade sliced through jugular veins. Starbursts of red stained his clothes. Making an incision in the leader's thumb, the guard pressed the bloodied finger on the parchment and kicked the lifeless body away. Resisting the urge to bury his blade in Lasich's chest, Fuma hefted the master on his shoulders and rolled the deed, stowing it safely. He hailed a carriage from the main city street and drove back to the mansion.

"How did it go?" The mistress stood at the entrance and spared her slumbering husband a displeased glance. An entourage of foreign guards took the weight off Fuma's shoulders and he relinquished the deed to the woman. Her violet eyes softened and she smiled. "You must hate him," she disappointedly stated. "He works you like a herdier." The woman stepped forward and a waft of vanilla hit the ninja's nose, he petrified, legs refusing to move when she traced her fingers across his mask. "Lasich has never seen you without this has he?" she queried; her lilting tone burrowing through his walls. He wanted to collapse in her arms. "You have handsome, strong features," the lady continued. "And your skin is like stained teakwood…beautiful." Her fingers slipped underneath the mask. "Please let me see," she pleaded. "I am sick and tired of pretending with Lasich."

It would be easy to get rid of him, Fuma contemplated. The man's wife, framed by the doorway and wearing one of those sequined evening gowns, combed her hands through a mane of glossy, gold hair and watched him. He took a step back, and then another and vanished into the darkness blanketing the front of the mansion.

Sighing, Lasich's wife wrenched off the diamond necklace resting on her collarbones. The guard was so difficult to please. Clenching her teeth, she marched into the foyer, sending warning glances at the gossiping servants. Of course they will never understand, not until they see how Fuma looked underneath the mask. It was an accidental discovery; she dumped her baby in the assassin's arms and drove to the heart of Rustboro. When she arrived back home, she found the duo sitting in the living room. Face framed by strands of midnight hair, Fuma patiently fed the child whilst the boy played with his mask. Freezing, the mistress stared at him, like everyone in the mansion; she thought the hired assassin sported demented scars. Unlike her wayward image, the man's unlined face and fierce eyes weakened her at the knees. Fuma's expression shifted and before she could ingrain his visage, he slipped the mask on, marched to her hiding place and placed the baby in her arms.

The room glowed faintly with evening sunlight when Lasich woke. Golden rings dangled from his wife's ears and he noted a velvet teal gown hugging her body. Gently tracing a finger down her bare arm, he struggled to think. His cranium pounded. "You successfully claimed Slateport," she congratulated. "I'm proud of you." Sadness lingered in the glassy pools of her eyes. Struggling into an upright position Lasich pressed his lips against her cheek. "I suppose you forgot about the party tonight?" she questioned and he blinked. "Drink this," she passed him a glass of water and he drunk the liquid greedily. "It will mitigate your headache." She rose. "I will oversee preparations, you rest for a while and come down, dressed appropriately," she stressed and he graced her with a patented grin. "Wear the first suit in the wardrobe, it will hide your bulk… honestly, you need to be active before some disease claims you."

A tiny snore sounded next to him and extraordinarily tired, Lasich rotated to his baby snuggled in blankets. He bent to pinch the child's cheek and his chest seized up.

 _What is this?_

A teardrop of blood fell from his eye and a torrent of sweat bathed his body. "Fu-" his throat closed and he gasped for breath. Another waterfall of blood rushed down his nose, painting his lips red. "Fuma..." Lasich rasped; he could not feel his legs, mouth, tongue. He could not see. A bolt of lightning hot pain shot through his head and his hand fell away.

The guard burst into the room on hearing a piercing wail. On the bed, eyes half open, lay Lasich. Sticking his fingers on the man's neck, Fuma silently declared him dead and closed his eyes. Boots and shoes thundered through the passageway and wrenching the mask off his face, the ninja plunged his sword in Lasich's flabby chest. He grabbed the screaming child. The door burst open and he climbed out of the window.

"Wait!" the lady shouted and an army of people jostled in the corridor. "You," she commanded. "Give my child back to me."

"Murderer," Fuma hissed and jumped. Miraculously, the child quieted and clung to him. Vaulting over the gates, he careered down the dimly lit streets, heart exploding out of his chest and vigoroth hot on his heels. If the child screeched, everything would be over for him.

Instead of squealing like any normal baby, the boy merely held on; tear filled eyes fixated on the guard's face. "Fu?" he asked when Fuma ducked into a passage crawling with merchants and people. The ninja cradled the baby closer to his chest and smiled.

"Fuma," he corrected in native tongue. "You are my child now," he paused to brush his fingers across the baby's cheek before tucking his head and blending seamlessly in the streets of Hoenn.

* * *

Mid afternoon

Gehenna

Forest

"Do we look like babies to you?" Black bravely called from behind Red. A necklace of bleached bones and polished gemstones rattled around the seed pokemon's neck and glimmered nastily, like his eyes. "Real scary." Tepig tossed his head in the air and surveyed the poor excuse of a forest. A carpet of tawny grass puffed into dust underfoot and the entire area resembled more a desert than a wood. "If you keep scouring the forest floor for traps, we'll be here for the next century or so," the fire piglet piped and N hissed at him to be quiet. "I'm just saying, if they leave us," a bitterness filled Tepig's mouth, "we won't be able to fend for ourselves." Ahead of him, Red grew rigid and a stray vine plunged into the soil, searching for tremors and enemies. "They're crippling us."

 _He has a point_ , Charizard leered.

Powerless to argue but determined not to put his charges in harm's way, Red ignored the voice of reason and stubbornly thrust a handful of vines inside the soil. The air remained stagnant, the trees and grass dormant. Torpidity brought an entire ecosystem to its knees.

Rolling his eyes, Green marched alongside his best friend and listened. No birds chirped, pokemon did not veer towards Sloth's domain due to the high fatality rates. After an internal debate, Red finally caved and allowed the younger monsters to fall in step with him. A canopy of bare branches tangled in a grotesque, tower turret formation. Stale air brushed across Venusaur's hide and he shuddered, savoring the breath of dying trees. A tiny movement ensnared his attention and without thinking, a flurry of razor sharp leaves soared out of his back and sliced through a charred tree trunk.

Underneath their feet, the earth moved.

A vine slithered up Red's hind leg and hung like a walnut maggot. He released a puff of paralyzing spores and the tendrils fell off. Near him, Zorua fought, clamping his teeth on stems and uprooting them. Leaves sliced handfuls of fur and littered the ground. N wove between blood sucking shoots and careered towards Charizard, crouched in a fire circle. Tongues of flame shot from the shimmering disk and leapt back. A stray tendril dove through a gap of fire and leeched on the dragon's wing. Roaring, Zorua snatched the worm-like plant and tossed it in the fire.

Body growing heavy, Black stubbornly refused to let the seniors see his fatigue and bounded to Red. Ever the worrywart, Venusaur screeched at him to stay safe. A glob of sticky fluid landed between the piglet's eyes and he looked up, palling at the gargantuan, carnivorous plant towering over him. Adrenaline pumping, he belted a plume of russet flames. The woody shoots shriveled and popped, music to his ears. Disregarding the extra weight plaguing his body, he rushed forward, a feverish gleam in his eyes. "I can handle this!" he exclaimed and a heat haze blistered his hide. Conveniently forgetting his self-imposed promise to keep the youngsters safe, Red joined Black, his eyes disturbingly excited. "Bring it on!" Tepig shouted and leapt through the air, flames whirling around his body. For a brief second, he hung in the air.

A supernova.

Taking to the air, Green snatched Black and glowered. "Are you insane?" he admonished. "Didn't I warn you not to spend your energy? And no, you definitely can't handle all of this…" he gestured to the battle raging on the ground. "Tsk, the moment I think he grows a few brain cells," Oak stared at Red, "he proves me wrong. We need to retreat," he added as an afterthought. An unerring glob of sticky fluid torpedoed on the inside of his wing and slithered down his tattooed hide. Convulsing, Green threw Black who landed with an indignant squeal, and flapped his wings, brewing a hurricane of twigs and leaves. Extending his claws, Oak slashed and elegantly tumbled to a stop. "Why didn't you stop Black from marching into those enemies?" Green demanded whilst Red sheepishly opted to glance elsewhere. Supporting himself on the branches of a naked tree, Charizard munched on Oran berries and the creeping fatigue in his bones subsided. "We have no idea how far the trial marker poem is, it must be near the pavilion," he thoughtfully commented.

More traps awaited them, instead of fighting; the quartet turned tail and ran. Not bothering to hide his tiredness, Tepig flopped to the floor; he chugged water, berries and squares of chocolate but the exhaustion persisted. Sitting inside a hollow created by Red, the band rested for a short while and seizing the opportunity, Black nodded off, sleep never seemed this sweeter. A sharp smack jolted him awake and Green gently clouted Tepig once more and jerked his head. _Time to get moving._ Swallowing his grumbles, the piglet climbed out of the inviting hollow, longingly glanced at it and marched behind his seniors. His feet refused to obey but stubbornness kept him upright. A tiny moan of distress escaped N's lips and he toppled, eyes closing.

 _Is he dead?_ Black groggily wondered and decided it did not matter; he simply wanted to curl in a shady spot and sleep. After a nap, he could think of having a fruit sandwich for lunch...

Padding towards Zorua, Tepig lay, tucking his snout between sweaty forearms. When the sweet lull of sleep claimed him, a stocky tail whacked Black into a tree. The trunk splintered, showering chips of dry wood and he gaped at the dragon. Black wanted to scream at his abusive senior but he only managed a whine. Thoughts scattered and dancing inside his mind, he attempted another warbled sentence and sat heavily to the floor. A movement at the edge of his vision alerted him to danger

 _...What danger?_

"This is bad." Red shoved a gold gummi inside his mouth. "What did you say now again? Something about both of us taking care of them?" he taunted and Oak flushed. "So now what do we do? I'm having trouble walking straight, carrying them is not an option, I'll just doom myself and them. Also my head feels like it's stuffed with cotton." Venusaur paused. "It's happening again, but much slower this time."

The sight of N, coiled with downy fur sticking out on all sides, calmed Green for some inexplicable reason. Charizard scooped the ball of fluff; cradling N in thin arms and Red raised an eyebrow at him. "Your head is always stuffed with cotton," Oak retorted and stroked the fox's garnet tipped fur. "...What are you looking at? I'll set your bulb on fire," the dragon lazily drawled. "I suppose smacking them awake is not an option, what should we do?"

"That's what I'm asking." Venusaur threw his tendrils up in the air. "You are supposed to be the strategist. Think!" He ordered and Green swayed. "No...NO. Don't sleep, we'll rot in here!" Huffing and uttering a slew of crude comments under his breath, Red blasted a potent sweet scent. His best friend clamped a claw on his snout and gagged, Black instantly woke and grimaced at the cloying smell clogging his throat and N bolted up, his head colliding with Oak. "Now we are all awake and refreshed," Venusaur blithely announced, "Let's move, I can sense a ring of living trees over there," He pointed north-east. "Black, N, on your feet" he sternly commanded. "You wanted to come here in spite of my warnings and now you better hold yourself up."

They eventually stumbled to the pavilion. A row of trees, branches supporting wispy, chlorophyll tinged leaves, constructed a tunnel leading to the dungeon. Meters to the left a redwood, top brushing the heavens, bore a series of neat scratches on its trunk. Thrusting an Oran berry in Black's mouth, Red ambled to the tree with Green trailing behind him and leaving a track of scorched grass. History wafted from the gnarled trunks, Red brushed his cheek against it and smelt fear, hope. He tasted the acerbic sting of death and drunk the joyous feeling of victory. This was the last stop, the tree whispered, sap pooled in its cracks and morphed into amber, glittering like golden droplets against the copper tree trunk. Prying a sizable nugget off the tree, Venusaur examined the lustrous resin, lost in its hypnotic, honeyed tint. Mind mulled with fatigue, Green read the inscription aloud, his words weaving together.

Laziness brings ruin

Sluggish thoughts, bovin

A festering pot of evil

Boiling since time immemorial, primeval

Stagnation and rot goes hand in hand

Bubbling unclean thoughts, bad

Idle hands find nothing to do

Naught but mischief it shall brew

"Now I know why Black is so mischievous," he commented whilst Red read the poem, tilting his head for clarity. "He has nothing better to do."

The piglet lethargically shot a fireball which careered in a wide arc and plunged into the gloom. Tottering to his feet defiantly, Tepig swung his head and the world spun around him, meshing into dull gleams of color. Breathing heavily, he ambled through the tunnel and keeping a hawk eyed watch over him, Red followed. A cavernous hollow opened, peppered with skeleton trees and here, Black gasped furiously, slobber leaking from a partially open maw. Paws dragging across the comfortingly cool floor, Zorua joined his best friend and sunk to his hind legs, he could not go on.

They sat at the base of a bare branched tree, nestling in tufts of sparse grass. Tepig stubbornly kept his eyes open, watching the chamber vacuously whilst N snored. Bringing up the rear, Green yawned widely and Red spied his uvula oscillating at the back of his mouth. The clearing seemed devoid of monsters and suspicious, Venusaur burrowed underneath the soil, frowning at the large weight to the north. Behind a cluster of trees, a snorlax grumbled, it used a massive, dirt tipped claw to scratch its teal belly fur. A tangle of vines slithered silently across the earthen ground and noosed around its neck. Snorlax's eyes snapped open and it lunged, paw fisted to shatter Red's flat face. Venusaur reared back and the vines pulled taut; snorlax gurgled, clawing at the lasso of shoots. Articulating a low growl, the beast vanished into a verdant cloud and a second later, Black rounded the bend, drunkenly smashing face first into a tree trunk. Sighing, Red nudged Tepig to his feet and nodded to the next chamber, connected via a set of branching tunnels.

The very air held its breath and the vegetation in the room remained painfully still. Like wax sculptures. N, slung from a makeshift sling, snored whilst Green kept a lookout for danger. Mouth crammed with food and restorative items, Black kept pace with Red, marching relentlessly. His breath rattled in his chest and he grew quiet.

Too quiet.

Teeth furiously working on a wad of wheatgrass and mint, Red shuffled. His cognitive powers dimmed and noticing the lack of enemies, he victoriously swaggered into the hallway of ebony branches. Right as he reached a tunnel entrance, a shadow blurred out and before Charizard cried a warning, an antler impaled Venusaur in the cheek. He let out a strangled gasp. The horns retracted and a gleaming hoof kicked Black. Green, his mind screaming at him to do something, simply watched Tepig spin in the air and crashing into a sturdy, bone dry trunk.

Cherry petals rained from the antlers. The dungeon ghost swiped a hoof across the ground, leaving a glistening trail of orange on the cracked floor. It lowered its head and charged. Aghast at its speed, Charizard held N and dove to the side, his wing clipping sawsbuck's flank. The monster halted elegantly and turned, eyes roaring of vengeance. It charged again, but switched targets in midstride and stormed for the barely functioning Black.

A scream tore through the air and belatedly, Green heard Red issuing a command.

"Take them out of here!" he screeched and ran, weight shaking the walls. "Get them out, I refuse to let them die!" Red rammed into sawsbuck but the ghost sidestepped and slashed his eyes. "Go!" Charizard hesitated. Vines grappled with the season pokemon's legs but it tore them easily. Shooting past the grass types, Green snatched Black from the floor and faltered when the specter stuck its antlers on Red's forehead. "Go...I can handle this thing," Venusaur's hoarsely whispered.

Cradling the younger monsters, Charizard eyed his companion. "You can't handle it alone," he resignedly voiced. "You won't ma-"

"I can," Red interjected. "I must," he confirmed. "I'm a fighter, I can do this."

Charizard rose slowly, wings creating a dust cloud; air nipped at the still leaves and clutching the first stage monsters, he torpedoed out of the room.

Evening

Forest

Dungeon of Sloth

A torterra and slakoth joined sawsbuck and evilly leered at Red. Cornered, he desperately sought for a way out and blinked at the viscid blood trickling in his eyes. Each step from torterra induced an earthquake and Venusaur's teeth shook like loose marbles. A carpet of tough vines snared him to one spot and he pawed them, hoping for a slip. Unfortunately, the vegetation held fast and absorbed his energy. Vision blurring, he panicked when slakoth seemed to duplicate and sighed in relief when only one slashed him. Forcing his mushed mind to co-operate, Red strategized, he could not fall asleep. Falling asleep meant admitting defeat.

It meant death.

Torterra posed the biggest threat and what it lacked in speed, it made up with sheer durability. Soil pooled underneath its feet and torterra kept a watch over its prisoner. Shifting to loosen the coils strangling his legs, Red showered a bunch of seeds and they burrowed into the earth. Sawsbuck eyed him critically and uttering a strangled cry, it blitzed forward; Red swung, nearly toppling over and the antlers sheared through the vines, setting him free. He scrambled to the other end of the chamber, crash landing near a hallway. Venusaur sprayed another handful of seeds and knit a protect just as a barrage of energy spheres honed on him. The bio-dome shuddered under the combined wrath of three pokemon and Red bit his lips, numbing the pain of crunching jaws and stinging razor leaves.

He waited.

An earthquake rocked the chamber and he tumbled, momentarily disorientated. A vine speared through a small gap in his protect and skewered his head. Grunting, he reformed the shambled dome and glued his attention to the floor.

 _Come on!_ Red prayed. _Come on, Arceus...Giratina, or whoever is listening up there_. He paused in his internal monologue. _Shaymin, please help me._

A skinny shoot sprouted at his feet.

Roaring victoriously he collapsed his protect and the tendrils shot outwards, skewering slakoth in its stomach. It vanished into a puff of tan smoke. The clearing shook, trees snapped like dry straw and crumbled as turgid, acid spewing vines erupted from the deep. Thorn covered shoots hungrily converged on sawsbuck, wrapping it in a cocoon of suffocating vegetation. The pokemon wriggled, acid corroded its antlers and within seconds, it ceased to exist. Torterra put up heavy resistance and Red heaved, exhausted from the effort of casting frenzy plant. The continental pokemon swept the room with a magnitude and a more than a dozen vines snapped at the roots. Undeterred, the poisonous tendrils wrapped around torterra, squeezing, leeching and oozing acid. The continent pokemon convulsed violently and the great weight of its tree, a lumpy bristlecone pine, capsized it. Climbing over, the vines corkscrewed together and speared through the ghost's underbelly.

Red panted, eyelids sliding shut. He forcibly opened them.

Rest was forbidden in the dungeon of sloth.

Outside the dungeon, near the trial marker poem, Charizard watched his charges snore softly; he wanted to join them and rest. Standing over then, he argued with himself. Too late he realized grass types were weak to fire and therefore, _he_ should have stayed behind. Shrugging at his late discovery, Green settled on the floor for a quick nap before re-joining his best friend. After all, he could not fight on empty, could he?

* * *

"This must be a record," Lasich, surrounded by weather-beaten stone columns, indolently commented when a single challenger ascended his raised platform. "I suppose I'm not dreaming." He looked at the sky. Bare, black boughs knitted to form the roof of Sloth's Dungeon, but the area above the trial master remained clear. His eyes reflected a sprinkling of stars and a waning moon. "Hmm...I am definitely not dreaming," he decided and yawned, covering his mouth with meaty palm. "Why are you alone?" Slaking asked, baby blue eyes crinkled in sympathy. "Your companions are all dead I suppose." He lay on his side, one muscle laden arm propped underneath its head. Slaking played with fragments of broken stone columns and a patch of vividly green grass grew within arm's reach. "So? Why are you alone?" The trial master asked again, sorrow pooling in his irises.

Venusaur puffed to the top of the platform and munched on his last golden apple. "I dunno," he nonchalantly replied. "Green, stupid prick, went out to release N and Black and he didn't come back. Maybe he fell asleep." At the top, Red sat down, belly brushing the ground. "I back tracked for him but I found no traces."

"Maybe he abandoned you?" the lazy pokemon queried, he remembered the pain of betrayal, the indescribable feeling stemming from trust broken by a loved one. He may have forgotten everything but the pain persisted, a hollow ache. "Or perhaps he is too afraid of completing my trial?" Slaking purred. "I do have the highest fatality rates."

"...He didn't abandon me," Red spat venomously and Lasich's lips curled into an amused smile. "And Green is no coward; he won't run away simply because he is afraid of something, that much I'm sure of. He's asleep." Venusaur shrugged. "Guess I'll have to deal with you on my own."

The trial master yawned again. "I wonder how you plan on defeating me when you're barely standing on your feet," he stated Red swayed. Slaking crushed a piece of stone in its fist and gravel trickled between chubby fingers. "You are a determined one." He remained lying on his side; Venusaur searched him for an opening and came up short. The pokemon splayed before him did not bother guarding and Red thought of a thousand ways to finish slaking off before he moved a muscle. Completing a half circle around the beast, Venusaur swallowed the urge to sigh tiredly. A barrier of broken stone columns surrounded the elevated platform and as he skirted, a piece of alabaster crashed on his back. Whirling around, Red forcibly calmed himself when the fist sized stone posed no threat. Fighting to keep his eyelids open, he unfurled the leaves curled on his back and a barrage of flavescent spheres cannoned from the top of his tree.

Scarlet irises roamed the heavens and the sky grew darker with each passing second. Red fell flat on his back, wincing at the pain of squashed sensory nerves. Stubby feet helplessly cycled in the air and he craned his massive neck to catch a glimpse of Slaking. The trial leader did not move from his position.

 _How?_

The plant type struggled to remember. Cotton filled his mind, dampening thought processes and lulling him to sleep. Compact spheres of solar beam, Red remembered, he created them after blasting a solar beam and the resulting fatigue sent him into a catatonic state. Somehow, the yellow orbs did not make contact with its target. Too tired to be astonished by its speed, Red simply gaped when Slaking batted the projectiles away with a single hand; it opened a palm and ripped a hyper beam. The silver light blasted Red off his feet and he somersaulted through the air, mind failing to cobble an explanation for the bizarre events. In a puff of exploding stone dust, Venusaur landed at the base of a column and lay there, stars and bursts of color gallivanting in his eyes.

"Sleep," Lasich commanded in a heavy, honeyed voice, blades of grass poked between his lips; Red folded to the order and his body slid downwards, staining the pure ivory column into a garish green. "Sleep there for eternity," the trial leader whispered, his voice echoing in the hollow cavern.

Night

Dungeon of Sloth

Entrance

Green woke up. Above him the sky tinted into a midnight blue and the stars shone blindingly bright. Twin snores erupted from his feet and the dragon glanced downwards at N curling around his leg. He shook the fox off and scooped the slumbering pokemon, depositing them near a slashed tree trunk. A niggling thought plagued him and picking his teeth absentmindedly, Charizard resumed watching the stars.

"Oh no!" he exclaimed, tail contorting furiously. "Red! I can't believe I forgot him." The trial entrance loomed in the darkness and beyond, pairs of malicious eyes glinted, daring him to enter. "Tch!" Green hissed and paced impatiently. "He's going to kill me, if...If he's not dead already." The intrusive thought spurred him to action; Charizard charged through the tunnel of bare branches and flapped his wings, soaring over the heads of an astonished pack of sawsbuck. The grass types whipped around and chased him, firing a storm of pink petals which drew thin scores across Oak's hide. Ignoring their demanding cries, he blitzed across the sky. None of the enemies could fly so the route to the throne room would be an easy trip.

A brownish bud, sporting a row of razor sharp teeth, buried in Green's shoulder blade, sweeping his right side with a paralyzing numbness. He tilted sideways, grabbed the weed and tore it off the host tree. Tossing it below, Oak crashed into a skeleton tree and suffered numerous stabs. Right wing useless, he examined the wound, a sickly purplish-yellow bite necrosed his shoulder and the pallor spread to his wing. Dropping a handful of Oran and Pecha berries into his gullet, he flexed his wing, lobbed a fire ball at his ever growing audience and launched off, flattening the tree over an unfortunate slakoth.

The trails led him into a central clearing full of tepid air. Touching the ground, he surveyed a short flight of stairs leading to a circular, raised platform and the rest of the dungeon curved around the throne room, tunnels disappearing into a silent void. Failing to find Red, the panic in Oak's chest spiked, sending a wavelet of pain over his shoulder. Pounding the throbbing muscle, he climbed the stairs and stared at a slumbering Slaking. Tearing his attention away from its hypnotic yawns, Green froze. A white column, surface painted with olive gore, towered over an inert Red. Heart leaping into his mouth, Charizard barreled over and stopped, jamming a sweaty first under Venusaur's nose. Sighing in relief, he cracked his knuckles, drew his forelimb and smashed it on Red's pockmarked head, immediately cradling his splintered arm.

"Wake up!" Green hissed, hot breath ghosting over his bleary eyed companion. "We have a Slaking to roast."

"Bout time you showed up!" Red sipped a berry concoction. "I tried to take Lasich on by myself, but you can see how well it turned out." He pointed to his crushed tree. "Are Black and N safe?" Green nodded. "Good...Now we only have to overcome Sloth and then we are free..." Venusaur's words trailed off and his face crumpled in an unsure frown.

 _What happens after we defeat Slaking?_ He wondered, _Do we vanish into the afterlife on the spot or?_

He suddenly wished he could spend more time listening to Wigglytuff or Layla, or sitting with the numerous books lining the cozy library on the guild's fifth floor. An inexplicable sensation of nausea gripped him and he drank the juice to mitigate the unpleasant feeling. "You ready? Can you think straight?" Red questioned and Oak snorted contemptuously, a steely glint in viridian irises. "You'll need to direct me, I can't think." Venusaur tapped the side of his head with a vine and added, "And my reaction time is horribly slow." The dragon nodded, and rocketed upwards, leaving tiny impact craters where his foot impelled off the ground.

Tucking his wings, he jetted across and plunged into Slaking who woke with a surprised start. Before the lazy pokemon grabbed Oak's wing, the dragon shot off again, a vermillion streak against the ebony sky. He performed a sharp turn and hammered into Lasich one more time. The hand holding Slaking's head, shifted and the master toppled on its back. A dozen shoots speared through its back, tangling with coarse body fur. Hovering in the air, Green cursed silently, Red missed; the vines erupted too slowly and minimized damage to the boss.

Grunting, Slaking picked the withered shoots off himself and tossed them aside. One eye lazily drifted shut and he yawned.

At once, crippling exhaustion seized hold of the trial goers. Unable to support himself, Green clubbed the ground, wings crushing beneath his weight. Red's head drooped and the collar of gemstones and bleached bones, strangled him.

"Wake up!" Oak bellowed and Venusaur's eyes snapped open. "Listen to me closely." Words floated in Green's mind and he struggled to articulate them. "I'm going to command you from the air and you must do exactly what I say and when I say it...Understand?" Venusaur nodded and mock saluted. Sucking in a deep breath of stagnant air, Green soared to the skies and Slaking watched him interestedly. "Plough him with a solar beam," Oak ordered.

Below, Red sputtered, "What? Are you serious? Do I look like I can cough up a solar beam? My plants are dy-"

"Shut up and do it!" Charizard snarled. An intense pillar of light blew off Slaking's left arm and the dragon smirked victoriously. "Pin him in position, we have to finish off-" He dodged when a half pillar whistled past the hollow of his neck. "Tie him quickly, don't let him fire a hyper-" A blast of pure white light jetted out of Slaking's remaining palm and pounded into Green, punching him in a stone column. Wings crunched beyond the point of repair, he howled in agony. The light died, Charizard peeled off the pillar and hammered on the stage below. Slaking ignored him and shuffled towards Red, who remained paralyzed to his spot by a mixture of creeping fear and exhaustion. The lazy pokemon drew closer, in no hurry to finish Venusaur off and with each step forward, the platform vibrated beneath him. Red's mind shut down, physical weakness forced his knees to wobble and his head sat like an unneeded burden atop his shoulders.

Tearing it off sounded like a good idea.

"You should sleep," Lasich stated comfortingly. "The world is your bed." Drops of caramel blood leaked from his amputated stump and hit the ground lazily. "Sleep, I won't disturb you."

A vine looped around Slaking's head and whipped it backwards, exposing his jugular vein to Green who sunk his jaws into Lasich's throat. "Sleep is for the weak," Red quoted Black and grinned toothily when the ghost arched its eyebrows in mild astonishment. Charizard buried its claws in the monster's chest and pulled free. He grimaced and collided to the floor. "Can't believe Black's words finally rang true," Venusaur lightly remarked and the duo shuffled to the center, where Lasich would materialize. Despite his life threatening injury, the ghost warped into existence a mere half a second later and smiled at them.

"Well done." He laid back, one arm propped underneath his head and the other roaming the ground. "You two were the first two man team to complete the trial...Usually it takes more than six pokemon to defeat me." Slaking shrugged. "Except for that one, Wigglytuff." Both trial goers stiffened and Lasich resumed his speech. "Ah yes, the advice, I guess I shouldn't be stalling for time. Pay heed, Sloth makes all things difficult, but industry all easy; and he that riseth late must trot all day, and shall scarce overtake his business at night; while laziness travels so slowly, that poverty soon overtakes him." Slaking nodded sagely, much like Red and continued grazing on his grass.

"...Right," Red interjected and turned to Green. "I understood none of that...What did he say?"

"Gibberish," Green deadpanned and face planted on the floor. "But it's all true." He gurgled softly before falling asleep.

* * *

 **A/N:** It's rainy and wet and I feel like kinda like a sloth myself, wanting to take an eternal nap. That aside, I hope everyone is enjoying the story and reviews or constructive criticism is always appreciated.

Also, some shameless advertising: Please look forward to a new fanfic, Ship of Thesus starring *drumroll* Link! (confetti falls from somewhere). I'll post it...sooner than later...hopefully.

At Jack54311: Blue and Misty aren't dead. And even if they were, Red and Green would never find them. N retains his memories from before, he's a special case who won't ever forget. Black and N arrived later because they were both killed slowly, they died after Red and Green were executed (remember the hyperdimension in the last chapter, Black survived for several months afterwards, he died from starvation)

 **Disclaimer:**

Title: Anthony Liccione

Quote: Benjamin Franklin


	29. Memories of Nobody

**Memories of Nobody**

The sun mercilessly shone on a child squatting in an empty corner of the park. He listlessly gave the park a sweep, heart pinging in pain at the sight of other kids holding their parents' hand. Jerking his face away, the boy glared at the sun and when his eyes hurt, he turned to the horizon, breath catching at the majestic scenery of Mount Cinnabar piercing the skyline. Straightening from his crouch, he jammed a bright yellow hard hat over raven locks; scooped up his waddling poliwhirl and squealing happily, he bounded for home. Feet pounding on granite, he puffed uphill to a vermillion roofed house. At the top, Cinnabar island reflected in crimson irises and the dry line of his mouth tilted into an innocent smile. Seeking a nearby bush, the boy wriggled between the undergrowth and patiently waited.

He fell asleep, chest rising and falling steadily. Scattered patches of sunlight danced across his face.

A man clad in a knee length, beige trench coat loomed over the bush. Why the child vehemently refused to play with other kids was a mystery only Mew could answer. Tucking a rectangular box underneath his arm, he poked the boy in his stomach. The child merely twitched and turned over, earning himself a new scratch and flatting poliwhirl's tail. Smiling, the man gave another poke and the boy rewarded him by bleary opening his eyes. His distrustful expression melted and gawping in delight, he threw stubby arms around the man's neck.

"Happy Birthday Red!" the man exclaimed and staggered under his child's weight. "You're growing bigger every day; soon, I won't be able to pick you up anymore!" In response, Red tightened his grip scrutinized his father.

Yep, his dad still looked the same; except for the tiny wrinkles around his slate eyes. A kind smile showed shiny white teeth and Red pulled the man's hair, wondering what to do with the white strands interleaving the rich black. At least his father did not look like the death god everyone claimed he should be.

"You came for my birthday," Red excitedly exclaimed and tore his gaze away from the gift box tucked under his father's arm. "Mom said you might not make it," he whispered conspiratorially. "But I prayed to Moltres and Arceus and wished you'd be here." Sweat streamed from behind his hard hat. "Mommy is gonna be so happy." Red threw his hands up and his father quickly jerked his head backwards, even though his son was absolutely adorable, the boy was not considerate of where his hands flew, or where he kicked for that matter. Biting a moan of pain when the child kicked him in the groin, he nodded carefully at the boy's babbling. "This birthday is gonna be the greatest." Red wriggled. "Mom, Dad and me," he shrilled happily, squirmed out of his father's grasp and ran to the door. Before he could knock, the door sailed open and he ran smack into his mother's warm embrace.

"Don't you want any visitors to come over?" Dad asked and sunk into a leather couch. Sprawled on a furry carpet and face smeared with cream, Red smashed his toy trucks together and shook his head fiercely. "...It's nice to have friends," Father softly added and exchanged a panicked glance with his wife. Why did their little bundle of happiness shun people? They did not understand. The doctors said there was nothing wrong with Red.

Balancing a plate of cake in one hand and glass of juice in another, Mom squatted on the carpet and Red immediately jumped up. "Red, love," she tentatively voiced whilst he shoved pastries in his mouth, careful not to get any cream on her satin skirt. "Why don't you want any friends to come over?" she asked and her child pouted, ignoring the question. When she hugged him and he melted into her embrace, he muttered that he did not need anyone apart from his parents. "No darling, don't be like that," she chided and he rested his head in the crook of her neck, staring at her hazel curls. "I'm sure there are a lot of people who want to be friends with you, but you push them away. You should be considerate of their feelings."

"They say Dad kills people," Red muffled, bringing a sticky finger to his lips and licking the sugar off. "They say," he looked up, face blank, "Dad is a mur-der-er" The raven haired child enunciated slowly, the word foreign on his tongue. "That's why I don't play with anyone; they stay stupid stuff when you're gone. I mean, Dad doesn't kill people right?" Red beamed at his mother before shifting his attention to his father. "You protect the champion and you are strong!" The boy's scarlet eyes blazed admiringly. "You are not a bad person right?" Red's pure smile never faltered and his father gently grinned in return and nodded.

He did not trust himself to speak.

"Does the Champion ever thank you for protecting him?" Red insistently queried and bounced in his father's lap, the man craned his neck, trying to watch the television. Unhappy with the inadequate attention, the child pulled his dad's shirt collar till the man gave up and wearily rubbed a stain littering his boy's cheek. "So, does the champion ever thank you for protecting him?" Red repeated, oblivious of the implications behind his parent's grim smile.

The man took a moment to reply. "The Champion," Father said slowly, "does not know I exist."

A terse silence engulfed the living room. The couple on the couch held their breath and gazed at their son who puffed his cheek indignantly and bellowed, "Why not?! He should be thankful for everyone who supports him," The boy piped down and contemplated, forehead a map of lines. Face smoothing over; Red pumped a fist in the air, narrowly avoiding his father's chin. "When I grow up," he prattled breathlessly, "I'm gonna be a Champion and I'm going to thank everyone!" His gleaming eyes emphasized his goal. "It's unfair...Daddy." He nestled in his father's lap. "Don't worry, after I become the Champion, I'll hang a picture of you in the Hall of Fame and everyone will know you protect me from the bad guys."

Dawn ushered in a welcome chill to the dry, hot island. Crouched at the threshold, Red, pajamas rumpled peered at the colors bleeding on the horizon. He clutched Poliwhirl to his chest and the water type feebly squeaked. His parents gifted the tadpole to him last spring. Before Dad left for his super-secret mission.

He remembered it clearly. Mother exasperatedly chased him around the house and he was not in the mood for a bath. _Why bath if he was going to play in the sandbox anyway?_ Chortling heartily, Red burst out of the house. The neighbors froze and stared at the naked boy as he dove inside the bushes bordering their home. Giving up, Mom went back to the house and Red shivered, balling up and waiting for his father to return. Father arrived before long, he strode past the bush where Red slept and paused before knocking on the door. Quickly backtracking, he sighed, extracted his son from the tangle of brambles and carried him back to the house. By the time Red was fed and bathed properly, the sun shrunk behind the mountains and the family stepped out, ready to stroll around town. Before Red zipped down the slope and vanished to Mew knew where, his parents lowered themselves to his level and presented a capsule to him.

The day flashed in perfect clarity, in the corner of Red's eyes, a handful of hibiscus flowers bowed in the wind. Holding his breath, he pressed the center button and out popped a life-long friend. Right there, Red nicknamed the tadpole, scooped the protesting water type in his arms and like a whirlwind, tumbled down the paved decline and into the park.

Now he sat, shivering and gaze combing the distant skies. Pinpricks of black decorated the sky and he squinted, trying to make out the shapes. Planes and Pokemon? Was the Champion going to visit Cinnabar Island? He hoped so. A rustle of fabric alerted him to his parents leaning against the door frame and suppressing tired yawns.

"Red..." his father called. "You are going to be a big brother soon." Horrified at the prospect of sharing _his_ parents love with someone else, Red glanced back, expecting to see a thumb sucking toddler. Satisfied when no such child fell from the sky, he shrugged the statement away. _He could deal with it later._ Pointing to the sky, he announced the presence of planes and a horde of dragon pokemon bearing riders and Father's expression paled. "They came," he mumbled to his wife and grabbed Red, bolting to the living room and stripping the pajamas off his son. "Gather whatever necessities you need, take him and head for the Gym or the Pokemon center." Grumbling at the clothes his father heaped on him, Red wriggled, trying to shrug a jacket off himself. "No, son," Dad sternly stated and buttoned the flak jacket, "you need this." He brushed a fringe of hair away from Red's sweaty forehead and planted a kiss. "I love you, both you and your mother," Father whispered whilst Mother emerged from another room. "Take him." He passed Red to his wife and she clutched his forearm, face ghostly white. "I can't come." The man grasped his family to his chest. "I must fly to the league and make sure the Champion is safe. Go!" he urgently commanded when a shell rained from above.

Red did not understand why everyone screamed and fussed. And Mom did not let him see. Clinging on his mother like a lifeline, he shuddered each time the ground quaked and she stumbled. Terrifying growls cut the air along with the noise of exploding earth and crumbling stone work. Tears leaked from his eyes when a blood curdling scream and a hiss of flames sounded next to him; Red pulled his face out of his mother's chest and surveyed the area through a film of tears. Smoke billowed from houses and he searched frantically, going slack to see the grand house on top of the hill reduced to a pile of smoking granite. A familiar, peach furred dragonite rose from the rubble and Red extended his arm when the dragon took to the skies. "Daddy!" he screamed when the speck flew. "DADDY!" He hiccupped as a giant shaft speared through the dragon and rider; together the duo tumbled and the scene in front of him dissolved into a blurry mess of tears.

"Hush love," his mother urgently whispered and her voice drowned in the noise of engine propellers. "Whatever happens, don't scream or shout." She wiped his tears with shaking, slender fingers. "Mommy is here to keep you safe all right?" Red dully nodded. "So whatever happens, even if I fall down, you do not utter a sound." Mother stressed and noticing firm lines around her mouth, he nodded. Shivering and sweating, Red's fingers grew numb from where he held on to his mother's woolen dress and his throat became sandpaper dry. The noise of guns, screaming shells and growling dragons seemed like static and he listened detachedly.

True to his promise, Red did not utter a sound when Mother lost her footing. He heard a sickening crack from where her head collided with a piece of broken tile and her body jerked involuntarily, as if someone hammered her back. Too frightened to shout, he shifted underneath her dead weight and breathed shallowly. His head spun in dizzying circles and he wrinkled at the metallic whiff permeating his nostrils. Mom did not smell like that, he pondered and watched her clothes dampen near the chest area, she smelt of vanilla cookies and orange blossoms. He sniffed, retching at the amalgamation of gunpowder and metal. A drop of sticky, warm liquid fell on Red's bottom lip and he licked his lips to get the offending fluid off.

A coppery, disgusting taste filled his mouth and Red gasped. More drops fell on his lips and heaving; he grabbed his mother's shoulders and wondered why she was so cold. Like the stone making up his house. Carefully, Red flipped his mother over, an uncharacteristic weight to her willowy frame. Immediately, a handful of bullets sprayed out of a helicopter circling the skies and clods of earth exploded, raining on his head and pelting his face. Red spat, wiped his mouth and focused on Mother. He could barely make out her vacant, scarlet irises behind hooded lids. Tears streamed down the curves of her cheek and pooled in her half agape mouth. "Mommy..." Red gently shook her and silently prayed to Moltres. "Mom," he sobbed and pressed his lips against her cheek, she always opened her eyes when he kissed her. "Please don't leave me," he begged and tugged at her sleeve whilst people stumbled to safety. Far away, he registered a boom and the earth rumbled in response but the boy did not care. "Wake up. WAKE UP!" he screeched and pounded the earth with a tiny fist. "Wake UP!" He snatched his mother's dress and shook her violently. A plane droned overhead and fired. Soil flew into his mouth and yet, he refused to budge. "Please..." Red stubbornly wiped his tears, smearing blood and saliva across his face. "I'll bath on time, I'll eat my veggies." He sniffed, "I'll make friends."

His mother never stirred.

Long after Mount Cinnabar erupted, Red sat near his deceased mother and watched lava sluggishly run down the mountain's wide, brown slopes. His fingers curled around his mother's fingers and he played with the ring she always wore. He sought comfort from a pokeball laying in his lap. On hearing a noise, he quickly scooted next to his mother and lay down. Human voices and pokemon snarls mingled together and he wrapped his arms around her soaked chest and stilled like a statue, lest the company find him. A flashlight shone over his inert form and he held his breath. Boots crunched gravel and the men continued to probe for survivors. Releasing his breath, Red attempted to roll over and paused when a rattata scampered over him. The purple rat sniffed and licked him across his forehead.

And he ripped a frightened scream, voice cracking and breath wheezing.

"It's a kid! And he's alive!" one of the men shouted and hurtled back. "Quickly, give him water." The man brought a blue water bottle and Red gulped without breathing. "Here, let me help you." The rescuer attempted to pick the boy up but the child merely hissed and hung limply on to his mother. "Kid, we need to get out of here," the man urgently reported and pointed to the mountain. "The lava is going to flow into the town soon and we have to get you to safety."

A dank, fetid smell wafted from his Mom but Red did not care. "I'm going to stay here with Mommy and Daddy," he resolutely declared and pointed to the dead woman beside him. "I'm gonna wait till Arceus takes me to them." Red grinned sweetly and rested his chin on his knees. "Go away." He glared for a brief second and tucked his head in between folded arms.

The disaster relief team exchanged helpless glances. "Kid...Red," one gently called. "Your Mom and Dad wanted you to live." A pained sob wracked the boy. "And they made great sacrifices to make sure you were safe. You are our responsibility now so come with us." The team moved closer and attempted to carry him.

"No!" Red flailed and his arm smacked across the man's jaw. "I didn't want them to leave me," he wailed. "I don't want to live without them...Why?" Rocking, Red screamed, a lone helicopter shone a searchlight over the war ravaged field and he shook his fist at it. "They took my parents away," he accused and sharply inhaled when one of the men lifted him. "Let me go." Red kicked and thrashed. "Arrghhhh!" He shrieked. "Leave me alone. I hate you! I hate everyone. I will destroy you!" he promised, his shrill screams tearing through the late evening air.

I hate everyone.

 _How ironic._

He thought; face inches away from Gold's drooling visage. The amber eyed teenager probably snuck into his room in the dead of the night and although he did not mind, if Gold claimed anymore of the bed space, Red will have to sleep on the ground. Often times the scarlet eyed individual saw Gold as a younger sibling.

 _The one he could never have._

"You look like a gal dumped you." The Johto Dex-holder warbled. "Hey...Are you crying?"

"Shh." Red whispered blinked moisture out of his eyes. "You will wake up the rest." Gold craned his neck, spying tufts of black and brown hair peeking from beneath a blanket heaped on the ground. "Go back to sleep." Red got off the bed. "I have a mission with Blue and Green," he explained. "It's gonna take some time, but we'll be back before you know it."

Gold peered suspiciously, expression hinting to panic. "Don't get caught," he hoarsely whispered and grabbed the edge of Red's sable shirt. "And don't leave me alone." The teenager's voice vibrated and all vestiges of sleep eluded his golden eyes.

"I won't," Red vowed and pried Gold's fingers off him. "I won't ever do that to you or anyone else." He smiled gently. "Take care of the others whilst I'm gone."

Saying this, he vanished.

The final, resounding bang startled Black out of his slumber.

A short corridor gave way to a common kitchen and Red jammed a peak cap on his head. Steel doors automatically shunted aside and he hugged a startled Blue, catching a whiff of her lemon scented sanitizer before she squeezed him warmly. He shuffled to the table where a figure hunched on a chair, hands wrapped around a porcelain mug. Green twitched when his best friend draped an arm over his shoulders but made no attempt to shake his companion off. Greeting them cheerfully, Red waited for Blue to heap a stack of pancakes on his plate. "How's the coffee?" he asked and Oak peered at everything through half lidded, disgruntled irises.

"Tch." He responded, eyes shifting to a grinning Blue. "That pesky woman made it."

Breakfast concluded as an orderly affair and the three sat on adjacent stools, watching their surroundings bathe in sunlight. A picture of three pre-teenagers littered the table and the trio studied them. Grinning, Red stabbed his finger at the photo in the middle; of a boy, cheeks littered with sticky grains of rice and deep, indigo irises. "I'm taking him," he declared and brought the image closer, studying the boy's innocent yet chubby features. "As a Pokedex Holder, I'm sure he has awesome skills but I won't mind training him if he's not up to standard." A gleeful smile split his face and Blue mirrored his grin. "Come on," Red nudged Green and the latter mumbled a curse. "We have to get moving, or else Gold's gonna throw a tantrum if we don't make it back in record time."

"Honestly, you spoil your department too much," Blue scolded good naturedly and smoothed a pinstriped dress. Her best friend merely shrugged and flashed her a blinding smile.

* * *

Early afternoon

Forest

Gehenna

A stream gurgled inside a giant Kauri tree. Admiring his reflection in the water, Black flexed his newfound muscles and stood on hind legs, aiming a punch in the air. His squat body coiled with taut sinews and two ivory tusks poked from beneath his bottom lip. Spinning away from the reflective surface of the pond, Pignite dropped to all fours and shuffled to a pair slouching in the shadows of the curved walls, Black sidled to Green and demanded the dragon to give him a ride.

Charizard eyed the newly evolved monster disdainfully. "I can't fly anymore, you are well aware of that." He struggled to stretch unresponsive wings. "And even if I could," he muttered and a tiny fire ball escaped his mouth, "I wouldn't be able to carry you. Show some common sense for a change, brat." Next to him, Venusaur contemplatively zoned on a bunch of honeysuckle blossoms, scowling, the plant type jerked his head away and Black quailed.

However, the bubble of happiness currently floating in his stomach refused to go away.

One week earlier, he remembered waking to the stench of blood and sickly sweet flowers. Groggily opening his eyes, Tepig registered the forms of his seniors, wounded and swollen beyond recognition. Immediately he knew they succeeded in completing the dungeon. The thought induced a wave of bitter sadness but Black stowed his misgivings under a falsely cheerful smile and helped them back to the guild. Whilst medical personnel tended to their injuries, one of the nursing blissey declared Green's wings as useless, he could not fly any longer. A sadistic thrill of glee went through Tepig and N watched him carefully. Not wanting to meet the shape shifter's eyes, Black scuttled away, settling next to Red. The evolved monsters were discharged and thus began a torturous session of waiting.

Waiting for them to disappear.

"I'm not a brat!" Black announced. "And I'm a pignite now, I'm probably as strong as you." He wanted to rile the duo, instead, Red crawled further in a dugout and Green snorted indifferently. Delighted by the bizarre turn of events, Black savored each and every moment with them but the tension in their faces and stances was palpable. Worse still, N did not share his enthusiasm and argued that the older monsters needed to join the cycle of rebirth. "Stop moping around and play with me." Pignite lobbed a fireball and Green cocked his head to the side, letting the flames smash and burn part of the vegetation. "And stop frowning all the time, your face will freeze that way."

Puffing out of the hole in the ground, Red stepped forward and a dry tendril hung limply down his side. "You're right, can't keep sulking forever," he said, feigning a smile. The tightly coiled spring of anger, regret and confusion screwed inside his chest wound tighter still and he breathed slowly, trying to unscrew it. "Wanna head to the eatery?" Venusaur asked and Black's face lit up with a megawatt smile.

Red paused, when was the last time he smiled like that?

When was the last time he laid eyes to such unbridled jubilance?

An oppressive weight lifted off his chest. Perhaps it did not matter. Passing from Gehenna did not take top priority anymore, and he wanted to make sure the smile stayed on Black's face. Sensing a shift in emotions, N bounded gleefully around Charizard, taunting him. Barreling towards the entrance, Pignite stopped, threw his head back and implored his seniors to hurry up, however, the words died in his throat. "You two are...Glowing." He confusedly dropped to his hooves, grin contorting. "You look different as well," he shrieked. "Human," the words strangled out of his throat and his eyes grew wide in horror. "Human." Black enunciated slowly. Alarmed, Red and Green exchanged panicked glances and their eyebrows shot up simultaneously.

So that's how Green looked, Red finally remembered. A tuft of spiky, caramel hair tousled in the wind and his best friend's jade irises held an expression of mild surprise. It looked out of place. If Red recalled properly, Green's face always remained in a contemplative frown, eyebrows, chin propped in one hand and nose buried in a book. Red grinned to himself. That's the Oak he knew. Eyes drifting downwards, his gaze stopped on Green's chest. An oval tag rested on top of his olive green shirt.

Green wrapped his hands around his precious pendant. Anxiety welled in his chest when Red, with a shock of unruly, black hair and passionate, crimson irises, flickered and glowed brighter. Unfortunately when he tried to poke his companion, Oak's arm passed through and he drew back quickly. His earlier panic inflated when tears gathered at the edges of Red's eyes.

"Green…" he blubbered. "We…I..Do-"

"Don't leave me!" Black screeched, fisting the words right out of Red's mouth.

In the periphery of his vision, Red observed N's stubby tail wag back and forth into a grey blur. A feeling of lightheadedness swamped him and both of them flickered; patches of their body becoming momentarily transparent. Pignite cried as the two of them floated higher, he tried to reach for them, jumping when and creating little craters on the soft earth.

"Please don't go away, I'm starting to remember everything," Black lied. "I will work hard so...So stop fading away." His voice cracked and he sniffled.

Up above, the corners of Red's lips lifted in a sad smile and Green's eyes stung. It must be the wind, the latter concluded. "Black, you have to do this okay?" Red stated and Pignite grunted. "You have to prove yourself worthy, you will forget more things but you will be given a new lease on life," the crimson eyed man continued. "So this time, make it worthwhile alright?" Black, face screwed into a grimace, dropped on his behind and solemnly nodded, N joined him, their faces remained skyward, to the blue patch scarcely visible amongst the thick foliage surrounding them.

Unashamedly wiping the tears with his forearm, Red sniffed and turned to Green. "We'll always be best friends right?" he demanded and Oak nodded. His form broke at the edges and fragmented, forming little spheres of light. Finding it painful to watch, Red screamed again, but his voice emerged as a soft whisper. "Despite everything, we'll still be friends right? In the next life as well?" he repeatedly questioned and Green nodded vigorously, not trusting himself to speak. Heaving a self-satisfied sigh, Red watched the half sunk sun cast a multitude of orange tints over the sea.

Almost transparent.

Clenching his fists, Oak desperately fought to say something but the words lodged in his throat and stayed there. He did not remember what he did to secure a place in Gehenna but it must have been a heinous crime. Opposite him, Red curled into a fetal position and cradled his head, muttering names and memories, the experiences he made whilst staying inside Gehenna. Listening intently, Green repeated them under his breath; he did not want to forget.

"Layla...Blue...Yellow. Gold...Dia...Oak. Green Oak." Red chanted, expression mellowing into mild curiosity and thereafter, bewilderment. Green blinked, recoiling when the man hovering near him reached out with a ghostly pale hand. "Don't...You can't...You can't forget me!" The strange adolescent shouted. "Green!"

And Green scattered into wafer thin fragments of light.

Red reached desperately, trying to catch the rainbow like flakes as they drifted away in the warm, moist breeze. Fingers degrading, he watched the lustrous scales and his salty tears fly to the west. Underneath him, he heard one last shout from Black and N before his existence imploded in a shower of bright, vibrant colors.

"...They are gone." N tenderly informed a weeping Black; the piglet wiped soot from his nostrils and tottered upright. Ambling to a patch of flowers, he nibbled off two lilies and waddled back to the spring bank. Very carefully, he set the two blossoms afloat on the clear water and languidly watched them drift downstream. A semblance of a sad smile formed on his face and after bidding the flowers a final farewell, he trotted to N and left the cave.

The lilies travelled several meters down the stream.

And simultaneously drowned when no one looked.

* * *

 **A/N:** If anyone is confused, the story is finished. To be honest, I did not have as much fun writing this as Blaec Iustice and I had to force myself. The editing is done horribly, the paragraphs were too long and I simply summarized them before posting it. All in all, not my best work, I found it frustrating at times and sheer stubbornness kept my glued to the keyboard.

However it is done, much gratitude to the following readers:

Ace Trainer Chase, Jack54311, LeafGreen14, Lizardon02, Lokiofthenight, NightTheWatcher, OmegaEdgeXIII, Setriel, Sleepy Wooly, Yeniffer Walker, YoungGoku.

You guys are the reason I kept on posting and I hope you all had a wonderful reading experience. Thanks for motivating me and for the reviews.

At Jack54311: Yep the story is over, with an entire imagined backstory to go along with it. Thank you for being a constant pillar of support, you are very much appreciated :)

 **Disclaimer:**

The title is taken from Bleach's first movie: Memories of Nobody.


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